A Little Piece of Heaven
by Puppets Blizzt
Summary: What if Luke and Lorelai never postponed the wedding? Like Gwen and Gavin, they work through the April situation. Slight AU, with a mixture of episodes. Sookie's third baby & a baby Danes! JavaJunkie & Literati. Discontinued.
1. Just Like Gwen and Gavin

**Thought of this while watching Gilmore Girls. (: **

**This first chapter is along the lines of the show. Actually, it is the show, just with some added dialogue and description. Much like the beginning of Secrets and Regrets.**

**I'm not sure where I'm going to go with this story. If you've got any ideas or suggestions, feel free to voice them. ^^ I've got a few of my own, but, you know.... I still like hearing yours! C:**

**This story is set with Just Like Gwen and Gavin, but with some minor tweaks. For instance, I'm changing the case of Martha's birth in Blame Booze and Melville so that I can use it for this story. That being said, I'm also changing it so that Sookie's going to have her third child soon. And, so that Lorelai and Luke have a child. ^^**

**This fanfic is probably ALSO going to be Literati. Not my favorite pairing, but Jess is definitely my second favorite guy for Rory. **

**Anyways, read, review && enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls, I.... would be rich. But I'm not. So I don't own Gilmore Girls. **

* * *

Lorelai bounced into the diner, her bright eyes sweeping her surroundings. She had thought she could surprise Luke with a visit to his diner, despite her former conversation telling him she wouldn't make it. Seeing no sign of the diner owner, she turned around. At the table stood a girl refilling the sal and pepper shakers. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and she looked around for sight of a possible parent. Upon seeing none, she sidled over.

"Oh, hi!" she greeted merrily.

April looked up for a moment. "Hello, there."

Lorelai watched her curiously and made a rather lame question, but she had nothing better to say. _Better get the ball rolling somehow..._ she thought.

"Oh, what are you doing?"

April sighed for a moment, as if she were upset because she was refilling the shakers. On the contrary, it was her idea to refill them, and refill them she did.

"Chores," she replied simply.

"Yeah, I see," Lorelai nodded.

April looked up suspiciously, remembering her former conversation with her father, Luke Danes.

"Are you a strangler?" she asked warily.

"No, no,"

"Just checking." Lorelai chuckled softly. "Rice, that's the key. Prevents clumping."

"Oh, yeah, I hate clumpy salt," Lorelai remarked lightly.

"That's universal," April affirmed.

"So, uh, who do you belong to?" Lorelai asked, "Caesar?"

"Who?" April asked in confusion.

"You're-You're not Caesar's?" Lorelai asked, her eyes narrowed. _Well if she's not Caesar's, then who..._

"Not according to the lab results," April replied.

Impressed, Lorelai shot another question, "Well, how'd you land the gig?"

"My father owns the place," April explained, "the diner, at least. Not sure about the land."

"Your father?" Lorelai asked, shocked. Her _father?_ Luke!?

And, right on cue, Luke ambled out from the kitchen. His eyes first landed on Lorelai, and he offered a smile. But as he realized April standing beside her, his lips curved downwards. Lorelai stared at him, hurt. Apologetically, he lowered his eyes to the ground.

April, oblivious to the Luke and Lorelai confrontation, continued, "My biological father. Not really sure what to call him, it's kind of new. Not the biological part, that was years ago. I wonder if brown rice would work too? Brown might be more decorative, or it might backfire. People might think there're bugs in the salt. I should put some brown rice in one of the shakers and use it as a control group against the other ones."

"I-I thought you couldn't get away..." Luke trailed off, shuffling uncomfortably.

"I got away," Lorelai replied lamely.

April backed away from Lorelai with her hands slightly raised. "She said she wasn't a strangler."

"Uh, you want to go outside and -" Luke offered, and was quickly cut off with a quiet reply.

"Uh-huh." Lorelai walked outside.

She stared across the street, her eyes watering and her arms folded across her chest.

"So she's--" she began when she heard Luke descend the short flight of stairs to join her.

"Yeah," Luke cut off.

"Wow."

"I know."

"That's-" Lorelai began again.

"My daughter," Luke finished.

"I don't believe it," Lorelai spoke, giving a small shake of her head in disbelief.

"I still have trouble believing it," Luke replied.

"You have a -"

"Yeah."

"Right. And what is she, twelve?"

"Yeah. Twelve."

"Twelve years," Lorelai said hollowly.

"Twelve years!" she exclaimed now, her voice rising in hysteria, "This is for sure?"

"It's for sure," Luke confirmed.

"When'd you find out?" Lorelai inquired.

"I just found out," Luke replied.

"Just?" Lorelai asked, "When just? She's in there filling salt shakers! It doesn't feel that new to me!"

"Two months ago," Luke said, dipping his head shamefully.

"Two months!" Lorelai exclaimed, "That's a hell of a long time to go without telling me!"

"I know, I should have told you," Luke tried to explain.

"Yeah!" Lorelai spoke angrily, wheeling around to finally face her fiance, "you should have!"

"I know...." Luke sighed.

Lorelai shook her head, "Stop. Stop."

"I'm sorry," Luke offered.

"You should be! You promised- you made me promise--" she cut off, waving her hands frantically.

"I know, I know I did!" Luke growled desperately, "I had to digest."

"Digest!? For two months?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Lorelai!" Luke shot back, "Look. I told you, so why are you so mad?"

Lorelai shook her head again, "No, Luke. You _didn't_ tell me. You didn't."

Her voice was hurt, upset. And she had every right to be.

"You didn't tell me, Luke," she repeated, "your daughter did."

"April," he added a name to his daughter.

"Whatever," Lorelai waved it off with her hand.

"No, not 'whatever!'" Luke objected, growing impatient with Lorelai, "she's my _daughter_, Lorelai. I wanted to get to know her!"

"I get that, but I'm your fiance, Luke. That demands some honesty. Especially since you made me promise we wouldn't keep secrets anymore," Lorelai rebounded.

"I didn't keep it a secret from you!"

"Oh?" Lorelai asked haughtily, "then what would you call it?"

"I--" Luke trailed off, clueless of what to say. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Stop saying that," Lorelai shook her head, "Stop."

Luke stepped towards her, his arm stretching for her shoulder. Lorelai shied away. Hurt, he stepped back.

"Lorelai...?" he asked, a plead of forgiveness on his face.

"Lorelai, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. It's all just a blur of stuff happening. I mean, she just came into the diner two months ago, no warning, talking about a science fair and how I may be her father and she pulled my hair out and DNA tested it, and then I wanted to forget the whole thing but I went to the fair and found out the truth. And we were at the park and she wanted to come here. And I called you today, wanting a moment to talk about it, but you were busy and so I put it off _again_...." Luke rambled off, "It's stupid. I'm stupid."

"Look, I need to digest this, and you have to get back inside, so, uh, I'm just going to go someplace where I can digest this and we will just talk more later, okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Sure. Whenever you want," he agreed.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded and turned to walk away.

"I'm sorry...."

"Margaret! I'm home!" The voice of a very happy Rory sounded from the foyer, ringing in Lorelai's ears.

"Kitchen!" she replied.

"And I come bearing gifts!" the younger Gilmore added, "Laundry galore. Oh, and I've got some candles and some fancy fruit, too. I don't know who Harry and David are, but they sure do know how to grow a pear."

She dragged her 'gifts' into her bedroom and continued her monologue, "Ugh. So, your letter? Oh, my God. It was brilliant! It has got to be anthologized, I'm telling you! And he definitely did not read it because he looked flummoxed. Flummoxed! The whole time I was reading it. And I didn't tell him a thing about it. That's what he gets. So, come on! I want to hear all about his visit with you."

She left her bedroom to see Lorelai sitting at the table with her head in her hands.

"Mom?" she asked curiously.

"Luke has a daughter," her mother replied emptily.

"And we'll talk about the letter later," Rory dropped the Logan subject, joining her mother at the kitchen table. "What?"

"He has a twelve-year-old daughter. I met her today. Well, I didn't formally meet her, but I saw her and I talked to her," Lorelai said.

"What!"

"He has a daughter with some woman. We didn't get to that, the big 'who', but he's known for two months."

"Two months!"

"A daughter."

"A daughter!"

"What does this say about our relationship?" Lorelai asked.

"What do you mean?"

"He waited two months to tell me!" she exclaimed.

"Did he say why he waited?" her daughter asked.

"Yes, he said he was confused, and I get that. I mean, I'm confused! But what does it mean that he kept a secret like this? What does it say about him? What does it say about me? Doesn't he trust me? Why doesn't he trust me?" Lorelai asked frantically, shaking her head and waving her arms to add effect.

"He trusts you, Mom. He's a guy. Sometimes guys are really dumb."

"She's cute," Lorelai stated.

"She is?"

"Yeah. She seemed smart like you. What is it with the next generation? You're all smarter than the rest of us," Lorelai accused.

"Not necessarily," Rory remarked, her thoughts flashing to the jokers, Colin and Finn.

"I'm freaking out!"

"I don't blame you!"

"What else is he hiding? I mean, how can you really know that you know somebody?"

"I don't think you can. Every relationship is just a big honking leap of faith." Rory replied wisely.

"I guess..." Lorelai agreed reluctantly.

"You didn't ask about the mother?" her daughter asked.

"I just kind of ran off! I couldn't wrap my mind around it." Lorelai replied.

"Well, Luke must be freaked out double what you're freaked out. You know? Mr. Responsibility. He must have put his baseball cap on backwards," Rory defended the 'diner man,' joking lightly.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded, giving only a small smile at the humor Rory offered.

"I'm sure he panicked. I'm sure his not telling you says nothing about your relationship. Maybe this is a cheesy perspective to offer you, but Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale went through the same sort of situation. He found out he had a kid that he didn't know about, but they made it work. As far as I know," Rory offered with pop culture advice, shrugging.

"Meaning?" Lorelai looked up hopefully at the prospect of mending the nearly-broken relationship.

"If they can, you can," Rory replied matter-of-factly.

"Really?"

"They're people. You're people. I mean, you don't sing, and neither does Luke, but really, neither do Gwen or Gavin. But they're still together! I think. I haven't read anything to the contrary," she explained.

"I guess."

"You and Luke just need to talk some more," Rory said firmly.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll tell Luke about Gwen and Gavin. I mean, if there's any people whose lives Luke would relate to, it's Gwen and Gavin," Lorelai replied.

Distractedly, she handed Rory a box of takeout.

"You will sing songs of gemstones!" Lorelai read out excitedly from the slip of paper that was Lane's 'fortune.'

"Of gemstones!" Lane echoed joyously.

Rory, however, was not seeing the humor in the paper. "How do you sing songs of gemstones?"

"Uh, I was a little tired when I wrote this one," Lorelai resigned, "Sorry. You want to pick another one? Swami do-overs are allowed."

"No, I'll stick with this one. It's got an air of mystery," Lane rejected the offer, holding the paper in mock adoration.

The trio laughed together, but the laughter stopped as Luke approached.

"Hey, Luke!" Rory greeted, "Want Swami Doggy to read your fortune?"

"Uh, maybe some other time," Luke replied. To Lorelai, he said, "Hey."

"Hey..." Lorelai replied lightly.

"Can we walk a little bit?" Luke asked, eyeing Rory and Lane nervously.

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed.

The two wandered off under the watchful eyes of Rory and Lane, ambling close to each other, but not touching. Soft snow dappled the ground and Lorelai's hair blew softly in the wind.

"I've got to apologize again. I should have told you immediately. I was just so confused. It's no excuse, but that's the excuse," The two stopped and Luke faced the Gilmore.

"I know, I get it. Nothing can prepare you for this one," Lorelai replied.

"Yeah. I just didn't know how to tell you. I'm bad with things..." he said.

"No, Luke. Listen. I mean, it's weird, you know, but we can make it work. I mean, she's there. April is there. Luckily you're with a woman who's raised a daughter and knows some of the ins and outs. I can help," she offered.

"I know you can. I guess it's just...it's just all so much right now. I've been dizzy for weeks."

"Yeah. I know. Felt like something was up."

"All too much, you know?" Luke hinted.

"Well, what all? Everything?" Lorelai inquired in reply.

"Well, I've got a kid, she's here, you know, June third -"

"What about June third?" Lorelai asked defensively.

"It's just so soon...."

"It's still months away!" Lorelai objected.

"Well, it feels close. It's everything, you know? It's all piling up, it's all happening so fast."

"Well, if it's all happening too fast, you know we could just postpone," Lorelai offered, though she longed for him to object.

"Postpone the wedding?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's not set in stone. Just happened to work out for a date that soon. I don't want you going into this all jumbled up, you know?"

"And that would be okay with you?" he asked.

"Sure...." Lorelai looked away slightly and bit her lip.

"That would be---" Luke cut himself off.

"No, no," he shook his head, reaching for Lorelai's arm.

"I- what?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Luke objected, "I can't do that to you. The wedding's still on. We'll get through this."

"Like Gwen and Gavin?" Lorelai asked, chocking back tears.

"Wha- who?" Luke asked in perplexion.

"Gw-Gwen Stefani? Gavin Rossdale? He found out he had a kid, but they worked through it. As far as Rory knows, anwyays."

Luke chuckled. His hand moved and he caught her beneath her chin.

He smiled in adoration.

"Stop talking, crazy lady." And then he kissed her.

* * *

**Comments? Reviews?**

**Share 'em.**

**I wanna know what you think. (:**

**--! Puppet xx**


	2. Ciao

**Here we go! Chapter two! The beginning of this falls in line with the following episode of Just Like Gwen and Gavin. (: But after that... nothing. ^^**

**I altered some things about the Rogan fight. For instance, she didn't accept dinner. She accepted donuts, read the letter, didn't give an answer.**

**I also changed it so that Rory already knows Lucy and Olivia. Therefore, the Lucy&Marty thing has also already happened. **

**Second, just so you know, my biggest pet peeve is reviews like; "good chapter. more please" and such. I'm not calling anyone out, but it's really annoying to get JUST that. I mean, I know there's things I could improve on. I'd love to hear what they might be.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls... well... I wouldn't be on Fanfiction.**

* * *

Lorelai opened the door to her bedroom quietly, or, as quietly as she could. Silently, she crawled into her bedroom, the floorboards creaking beneath her weight. Luke shifted. He sat up groggily.

"Hey," he greeted, half asleep.

"Hey… did I wake you?" she asked.

"'Cause I brushed my teeth in the shower so you wouldn't hear the sink run," she added.

"No, you didn't wake me up," Luke replied.

"But then it occurred to me, while I was in the shower that you could probably hear the shower run, and that defeated the purpose of the whole shower-toothbrush combo," she reasoned.

"Why are you up so early?" Luke complained.

"Oh, well, you know me," Lorelai responded.

"I do, so why are you up so early?"

"I have chores," Lorelai said.

"It's six in the morning," Luke pointed out.

"Well, it's early morning chores," Lorelai explained.

"What's early morning chores?" Luke asked.

"You know, just milking cows, feeding chickens, slopping pigs…" she trailed.

"You have to slop pigs?" Luke asked, his eyebrow slightly raised.

"They're certainly not gonna slop themselves," Lorelai replied.

"You're being evasive," Luke stated plainly.

"I'm not being evasive," Lorelai replied, "I'm trying to remain mysterious so you still find me interesting one hundred years from now."

"Why won't you tell me where you're going?" Luke asked.

"Well, I'm going to the flower mart," Lorelai resigned.

"Why?" Luke asked cluelessly.

"Because I'm meeting Sookie there because we're going to get ideas for flowers for the wedding," she explained.

"I thought you already picked flowers: daisies," Luke said in confusion.

"Well, yeah. But what kind of daisies?" Lorelai asked.

"Aren't they all the same?" Luke questioned.

"Ha, no," Lorelai said, "Some are small, some are big. Some are long, some are short…."

She trailed off for a moment. "Dirty?"

Luke winced, "Geez."

"Yeah, so. I'm gonna get going. You sleep in, mister," she sidled over, planted a light kiss on his lips, and turned to walk away. Luke caught her arm before she turned, drawing her back towards the bed.

"Luke, I gotta go meet Sookie," she complained. Luke reeled her in for a firmer kiss, smiling.

"Okay, have a good time," he replied finally, releasing his fiancée from his grasp.

She smiled and backed out of the room, making her way down the stairs towards her car.

* * *

"Sookie!" Lorelai greeted as she walked up.

"Hi!" Sookie responded, "Don't smell the fairy wings."

Lorelai blinked in confusion. "Don't what?"

Sookie giggled, "Nevermind."

"Sorry I'm late," Lorelai apologized.

"That's okay, it gave me a chance to scope out the place. Sharon over there has great stuff, but she is completely anti-haggle. 'This is my price, and you will pay it,'" she mimicked the woman's voice as best she could, "You know what Sharon? This is me walking away from _you_ over to Miguel's, who's very haggle-friendly, but his roses suck. Do you want roses?" Sookie rambled. She pointed to Miguel's roses.

"Suck-y roses?" Lorelai asked, "No thanks."

"I saw some bluebells over at Tim's that I know are not your normal-bouquet kind of choice, but we can make something interesting out of them," Sookie offered.

Lorelai shrugged, "I dunno."

"Huh. Well, maybe... peonies?" Sookie stopped by another vender, examining the flowers.

"Those are pretty," Lorelai agreed.

"Pretty enough for a wedding?" Sookie asked.

"Maybe… what color, do you think?" she asked.

Sookie looked around, "Well it looks like they've got every color. What kind of color scheme would fit?"

"Well the dress is cream, you know that. Really, anything… the inside of the church has the mosaic… maybe pink and white?" Lorelai suggested.

Sookie nodded her agreement, "Sounds good."

Their flowers picked out, the two wandered away from the venders and walked down the street.

"So… how do we kill time?" Sookie asked.

"Sing? Dance? Act like idiots on the street?" Lorelai suggested.

"Oo! Sounds good," Sookie consented.

Lorelai laughed. They ambled down the sidewalk, looking into each window for inspiration and ideas.

"So," Lorelai said, breaking the awkward silence between the two.

"So…" Sookie echoed.

Suddenly, she brightened. "Oh! Did I tell you I picked a name?"

"A name?" Lorelai asked, confused.

"A name! _For the baby_," Sookie clarified. It had been known that Sookie was expecting a third child again, but she hadn't seemed too thrilled about it. Now, on the other hand, she seemed quite satisfied.

"Well? Are you going to share it, or am I going to have to guess?" Lorelai probed.

"Oh, yeah. Get ready…" Sookie did a mimicry of a drum roll. Lorelai smiled wide, as if really pumped. And in a way, she was. She held her hands out in a gesturing stance, waiting for the big surprise.

"Well, she's a girl," Sookie began, "So I immediately thought that I should name her after someone I know."

Lorelai nodded, signaling she was following.

"So, not that I know one, her first name is Helena," she continued. She pronounced the name _heh-laina._

"Pretty," Lorelai commented.

Sookie smiled. "Lena for short."

"Hey, Sook. It isn't much of a drum roll moment if you drag it out like this…"

"Oh right, sorry," Sookie said.

"Her name is Helena Lorelai Bellville."

Lorelai stopped in her tracks.

"Helena _Lorelai?_" she asked.

Sookie nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, you're my best friend, Lorelai. I wouldn't have married Jackson without you. I wouldn't be working at the Dragonfly Inn without you… everything would be different."

Touched, Lorelai smiled. She seemed to be tearing up, and she wiped the tears away with her sleeve.

"I—I don't know what to say, Sookie…" she whispered.

No one had ever named a child after her, and most Lorelai's stayed within the family. She embraced her friend happily.

"That's great, Sookie," she said finally, "The girl, of course. Not necessarily the name. But I mean, the name is great, too…."

Sookie laughed, "Yeah. We decided three was a good number, so this is going to be the last. We thought we'd make her special."

"You most certainly did," Lorelai replied.

* * *

Rory walked down the sidewalk, her books held close. As she rounded the corner towards her home, she spotted Logan Huntzberger leaning casually against the wall.

"Hey Ace," he greeted.

Rory stared for a moment. A long moment. She had accepted the donuts, not necessarily him. Obviously he didn't get that. Immediately, she walked past him without a word, leaving the Huntzberger stunned and confused. He chased after her.

"Ace, wait up!" The Gilmore didn't slow down.

"Rory!" She paused and pivoted on her heels.

"I'm going to be late. What do you want, Logan?"

Ouch, cold. She glared at him with daggers as cold as ice, drumming her fingers impatiently on her books.

"What was that all about?" he asked, referring to her cold shoulder just previously.

Rory turned and started back down the sidewalk. Again, Logan followed suit.

"I'm not talking to you, Logan," she sighed, annoyed.

"….You just did," Logan pointed out mildly, good naturedly.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Logan, we can talk later. Not now. Now I have to study."

"You just said you were going to be late."

Rory thought quickly, "Yes, for study session with Paris. I'd rather not have my head chopped off."

"Five minutes, please," Logan begged.

"I can't fathom what a _minute _of my time would do for you."

"Funny, your mom said the same."

"Great minds think alike," Rory responded.

"Please, Ace. Three minutes," he bargained.

By now, Rory had reached the complex. Marching up the stairs in silence, she spun around upon nearing the door.

"Talk," she commanded.

"I'm sorry," he started.

Rory scoffed. She turned and proceeded to unlock her door one lock at a time.

"I mean, you've got to understand."

"I don't have to understand _anything_," she snapped.

"I truly thought we were broken up, Rory! I had _no_ intention of hurting you. You know I would _never _hurt you," he pleaded.

Rory gave a frustrated sigh. "No, Logan. I _don't _know that. I asked you _not _to do that stupid Life and Death stunt; you went. And you nearly _died_. Do you realize how much you _hurt _me?"

Logan blinked, but said nothing in response.

"Not to mention just _sleeping _with Honor's friends. _All _of them. Yeah, I get you were hurt. But did I go off with Colin and Finn? Even though I was hurting and upset, too? No, I didn't."

Again, Logan said nothing. He couldn't think of _what _to say.

"Oh, and what about Lucy and _Marty? _They're my friends, Logan. I asked you _not _to tell Lucy; Marty was going to! And at a dinner… all four of us together… that was cruel, cold-hearted, and mean-spirited. Sure, you were jealous, I get that. But Marty was only a friend – _is _only a friend. _You _know I wouldn't date Marty, I've told you that. He just had a crush, nothing more. Not only did you ruin their relationship, but _mine _as well. Lucy _still _isn't talking to me. And it's your fault."

"While I can defend myself on—" Logan started.

Rory sniffed in annoyance. "No Logan. You _can't _defend it. What you've done is unforgivable. We're through," Turning, she moved to open her door.

Logan stopped her, "Ace, come on," he begged, flashing his Huntzberger smile.

"It's Rory. _Ror-ee._ And don't waste your time. We're through. Why don't you just run off with… 'blondie'… or whatever. I'm sure she'd love to have you. Now _goodbye, _Logan."

With that, she forced her door open, shoved her way inside, and slammed the door behind her without another word. She was sure she had been too harsh, but she was fed up with his carefree spirit and arrogant manner. She broke down almost immediately then, spiraling into a fit of sobs. Leaning back against the door, she slid to the floor. She dropped her books beside her and drew her knees close, locking her hands around them. Resting her chin on her knees, she closed her eyes in an attempt to shut out the world. Crying, she rocked back and forth on the floor.

Logan Huntzberger. Boyfriend of almost three years. Their relationship had been good – great actually. She had changed him in ways she never would have thought possible, and he had changed her. He had her back, and she had his. For a while, Rory had truly believed Logan was _the one_. But she had been wrong. Who knew guys could be so dumb? Okay, so her mother did. She had warned her on one occasion, even. But Rory hadn't listened. Her mistake. She had placed too much trust and faith in a single person, and now she was shattered.

In her right hand, somehow – probably self-consciously –, she held her phone. Stifling a sob, she called her mother.

"Hello?" Lorelai answered.

"M-Mom…." Rory squeaked, her voice coming out as soft as a mouse. And she felt like one, too; a small person in a large world, full of hate and betrayal.

* * *

On the other side of the door, Logan Huntzberger stared in disbelief. Had the coffee cart not been enough? The flowers? The donuts? The letter from _Lorelai_? Apparently not. Rory Gilmore had dumped him. For good. There was no mistaking it this time. She has man, and she wouldn't forgive easily.

Hell, no. She probably wouldn't forgive him at all. Reflecting on the points she had brought to light, Logan didn't blame her. They made him sound like an idiot. Like a scumbag. Like a _monster_.

Hell, maybe he _was._

He gave a groan of defeat, nearly pulling his hair out of his head. He stepped forward, raised his arm to knock on the door… but lowered it again. No, he'd only be yelled at. Maybe even worse. Possibly by Paris, if she were there.

Leaning against the door lightly, he listened carefully.

"Hey, Rory! … what's wrong?" Lorelai asked with concern.

"Logan… we're done," Rory choked out.

"Aw, now. It'll be okay. It'll be fine. You two will work it out." There went Lorelai, doing as mothers do; comforting and reassuring her daughter.

"No. Was bad. Never forgive. _Never._"

"Now, sweetie. You're a Yale student. Yale students speak in full sentences," Lorelai teased lightly, in a desperate attempt to lift her spirits.

_Never forgive. Never._

Logan cringed. _Never? _As in, _forever _never? Raising his hand, he moved to knock on the door again. His fist poised, he stopped himself just inches from the wooden door.

_No. That would be suicide. Utter suicide._

Sighing, he stepped back. A twinge of regret gleamed in his eyes. His heart ached painfully.

_You'll always be Ace to me._

Ever since the Life and Death Brigade stunt. In the woods. They had jumped off the seven-story high structure together, with nothing but an umbrella. _You jump, I jump, Jack_, she had told him. So much trust had been placed in him, and he had lost it all.

Placing a single palm on the door, he closed his eyes. He pictured Rory at the Life and Death stunt, in the beautiful blue dress, her hair tied back elegantly. He envisioned the scene, relived the moment. He couldn't help but smile.

When he opened his eyes, a small tear clouded his sight.

Who would've thought; the famous Logan Huntzberger was crying. Small, but still there.

"Goodbye, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore," he whispered, his lips just centimeters from the door. It was impossible to say whether she had heard him or not. He hoped she had.

With his final farewell said and done, the Huntzberger retreated, his shoulders hunched over glumly. With his head bowed and his hands in his pockets – the classic distraught Logan pose – he disappeared into the night.

* * *

**You know the drill.**

**Dare I repeat it?**

**So far I've got traditional for Lorelai and Luke's wedding. Any more opinions? {{UPDATE: ohWOW. I added this to the wrong fanfic. o: Ignore pleasee? XDD Or laugh at my stupidity. Either, or.}}  
And, by the way, the wedding will be in the next chapter. ^^**

******Read and Review, people! **


	3. The Wedding

**Here we go! The wedding, at last! x)**

**So I'm like... crap... with weddings.**

**Bear with me, mmkay! **

**Good.**

**Let's see.... I'm also not the BEST with the emotional crap during it. Since, well, I'm a freshman in high school. Do you really think I've been married, or know how it goes? Ha.**

**Upcoming events to look forward to: Lena && Literati action. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls, I wouldn't have had problems with writing a wedding.**

**UPDATE: WOW. I am a MAJOR idiot. See, this is what I get for writing two fanfics at once; I get confused. .-. **

**For those of you who didn't realize; Logan was at the wedding. Baha, I don't think I can get much stupider than that. I fixed it though! :D**

**And basically replaced him with April. There will be more of April later though. ^^**

* * *

The wedding plans having been finished months ago, there wasn't much else for Lorelai and Luke to do. As months passed, the day of June 3rd finally came.

Gathered In the church, many of the Gilmore-Danes guests had already found seats in the sanctuary. Closest friends and family members took up the first row. This included Emily, April, Chris, Gigi, Jackson, Martha and Davey for Lorelai and Liz, T.J., and only a few others on Luke's side. It seemed all of Stars Hollow had shown up as well to witness the marriage. This was no surprise, with Patty yelling it all around town the day previous. Lorelai, originally, had only wanted a few close friends, but in the end relented to Patty's persistent ways.

"Oh honey, everyone wants to be there to see you finally married!" she had pleaded.

"Finally?" she remembered asking.

Patty hadn't responded, but had taken the echo as a 'yes.'

And now, the church was packed. Emily, being Emily, of course, had also invited people Lorelai didn't know; her friends from the D.A.R. What compelled her to do this was unknown, but they served their purpose – Emily's purpose – in filling up the back rows quite well. And, just to the side of the aisle, stood a paid cameraman, the camera settled atop the tripod and trained on the altar in the center. The flowers Lorelai had picked out adorned the pews and brightened the church, giving off the never-burning Lorelai-spirit.

In one of the rooms, a frantic Lorelai studied herself in the mirror. Having rejected her mother's assistance, the Gilmore was in this alone.

"You look beautiful, Lorelai. Really."

You know, aside from her two bridesmaids and closest friends. If she wanted anyone to be beside her on this day, it would be the two women beside her. Rory on her left, Sookie on her right, she turned and smiled.

"Thanks, Sook," she replied.

"Yeah, Mom. You look great," Rory assured.

"Thanks, kid," Lorelai smiled.

She turned back to herself, admiring her reflection. No, not in the egotistical way. But she was mesmerized, mesmerized by her transformation. Mesmerized by what she recognized as the next phase in her life.

This was it; the moment she had been waiting for. The moment _Luke _had been waiting for. The moment all of _Stars Hollow _had been waiting for. Literally.

On more than one occasion had the citizens of Stars Hollow attempted to get the two together. While it had mostly been Babette and Patty, the whole town had known of Luke's love for Lorelai. That much had been obvious. When they had first started dating, the town had been ecstatic… minus Taylor, who insisted that Luke agree to move out of Stars Hollow should the Lorelai-Luke affair end. And, though it did, Taylor never held Luke to his word. No, instead he decorated the town with blue and pink ribbons. And, when they reunited, they eventually engaged. And then, _then, _the town was _really _ecstatic. It had sent Babette and Patty into a frenzy, Kirk and the whole town as well. Particularly Sookie, who had taken the B.F.O.T.B. position to heart, started planning everything immediately. The town had been thrilled and excited for the wedding, but the final break-up had sent everyone into sadness.

The town had watched the relationship grow and flourish, only to see it crushed and ending. They had ached when Lorelai ached, smiled when Lorelai smiled. It had all been hectic. And now… now they were getting another shot at seeing the two together again.

"Lorelai?"

Lorelai blinked, whipping around to look at her friend. She had zoned out, and Sookie had apparently been speaking to her.

"Oh! What?" she asked.

"Lorelai, are you ready?" she asked again.

"Oh, yes," she nodded silently.

A tear formed in her eye, and her shoulders shook.

"Mom," Rory soothed, putting a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"No, no. It's okay," Lorelai shook her head, "I'm fine."

She wiped her face with her arm, sniffing.

"I'm just… thinking."

"Not rethinking?" Sookie asked for reassurance.

"No, no. 'course not," Lorelai laughed softly.

"Alright, good. Because Luke's perfect for you," Sookie said.

"I know…"

* * *

Luke stood by the altar, clean-shaven and wearing a black tux per request of Emily Gilmore. No doubt he would have worn one anyways, but Emily had it in her mind he wouldn't have done so, and she made it her duty to remind him. Beside him stood Jess.

The teen hadn't changed much – aside from the fact he was no longer a teenager, but a growing young man. His hair still slightly curly and the same coal black as before. He was Luke's sole groomsman. Well, he and Luke's friend, Ed. Luke, being the town's loner, had few people he considered to be true friends. In fact, the only persons he could really handle were Lorelai, Rory, Liz, and Jess. Ed came as a last resort, being that all other friends were not able for the task. Ed took the offer willingly enough, however, despite the fact Luke had snapped at him in years previous.

The music started. The sea of guests turned their heads back, watching as a heavily pregnant Sookie waddled down the aisle, Rory not too far behind. Normally, Lorelai would have insisted on keeping Sookie at home, but her friend refused to miss it and insisted on taking part. And when Sookie had something set firm in her mind, it was hard to sway her from her decision. Even her doctor had attempted to insist on it, but Sookie had refused. The doctor was even here, seated casually in the back of the church.

Jess smiled as he watched the woman make her way to the altar and stand opposite Luke. His gaze then switched to Rory. Still as beautiful as ever, he watched as she came down. She cast a glance in his direction and quickly looked away again. _Jess is here…_

Well of course he was! How could she have been so _stupid_! He was Luke's nephew; of course he would be here! And there he stood… watching her. She reached the altar and stood beside Sookie, still attempting to avoid Jess's gaze. This attempt came to no avail, however, as she finally gave in and cast a wary smile to him. Jess grinned in response. He then gave a slight roll of his eyes to signal he didn't want to be there, to which Rory matched with a silent gasp, as if to say 'Jess Mariano does not wish to celebrate this long awaited marriage?' Jess heaved his shoulders discreetly. Oh well, she'd ask him about it later.

Then, the guests rose to their feet. Standing at the front of the church was Lorelai Gilmore. The dress was the same; strapless with a blush-colored silk tulle bodice with little crystal beads, blush silk tulle skirt with blush silk stain lining, the back flowed into a train, and it had the same cream satin sash. Lorelai, despite Emily's original suggestion years ago to go with a tiara, had also chosen a veil. And as Emily saw her, she realized she was wrong. The veil suited her perfectly and didn't make her head look _too _large.

Richard smiled from beside the door and offered his daughter his arm. She took it gratefully, and together the two started down the aisle towards Luke. One step at a time, Lorelai's insides screamed. This should be the time she ran away. The time she bolted from a relationship. She did with Max! No, she didn't leave him at the altar, but it had been only days before the wedding when she had left. So why hadn't she run yet? Run from the bond Reverend Skinner was about to place between she and Luke?

"Lorelai, you're going to be fine," Richard muttered. He didn't ask for a response, and Lorelai didn't give one. She was too intent on walking straight and not crying. Or bolting.

"Luke loves you. And…" he paused for a moment, "your mother and I... well, we could get used to him."

Lorelai gave a small, shaky laugh. As they reached the altar, she turned to her father.

"Thanks, Dad," she whispered. She gave her father a hug, and the man went to his seat beside Emily.

Turning, she faced Luke. She took his arm and they ascended the short number of stairs to where Reverend Skinner stood.

The Reverend began to speak, a whirring drone in Lorelai's ears.

"—to join the families of Lorelai Victoria Gilmore and Lucas Allen Danes in holy matrimony…. Finally."

A few guests, mostly of Stars Hollow, chuckled. Even the Reverend managed a small laugh at his joke.

As the wedding continued, the time came for vows. Lorelai and Luke stood across from each other, their hands in each others.

"Do you, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, take Lucas Allen Danes to be your husband, your partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?" the reverend addressed Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled.

"I do," she spoke raggedly, her voice cracked. This was it.

As soon as the two words were spoken, she knew why she hadn't bolted. She knew why she hadn't run away from the wedding; Luke was it for her.

Luke was the _one._ The one she'd spend the rest of her life with, the one she'd die with. And she wondered why she had never realized this sooner. If only she had; life would have been so much easier and simpler. She could have had a longer life with him, a happier life. They could have been together sooner. Oh, if only she _had_ realized it sooner, so much could have been avoided. So much hurt, pain, sadness on both their parts. No deep holes of depression.

"—forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?" For a moment, Lorelai thought she hadn't answered. But she blinked back tears and realized that Reverend Skinner was not speaking to her, but rather, Luke.

She looked up at him brightly, smiling. And Luke stared back lovingly, a smile plastered on his face.

"I do," he replied in the same gruff voice as always.

The two exchanged rings and Luke pulled Lorelai close. Their faces now just centimeters apart, Luke pulled back the veil. And in one swift motion, he captured Lorelai's lips in his. His hands were settled on her waist, hers wrapped gently around his neck.

Breaking apart and now joyously laughing with one another, they turned and hurried down the aisle. The guests had stood up and were giving small cheers and congratulations. Lorelai clinging to Luke's arm, they exited the church. Luke's green truck had been decorated with flowers – undoubtedly by Sookie – and 'Just Married' had been written on the bed – undoubtedly by Jess. Luke opened the door on Lorelai's side and she kissed him lovingly on the cheek.

Then she closed her eyes and tossed the bouquet of flowers in her hand over her shoulder. Climbing into the truck, she looked out the window. Standing in the sea of friends and family was Rory, holding the bouquet of flowers with a large grin. Lorelai waved to her daughter, and Rory waved back.

"See you soon, Suga'" Babette waved.

"Don't have too much _fun_," Patty added.

The town waved their farewells as Luke slid into the driver's seat and started to drive away from the church.

"Are you ready, Missus Lorelai Victoria Danes?" Luke asked.

Lorelai cringed slightly.

"What?" Luke asked worriedly.

"I—It's just… I love you, you know that," Lorelai started.

"Oh geez, don't tell me…" Luke trailed.

"No," Lorelai laughed, "No. Nothing like that, promise."

"Then what?" Luke questioned.

"Well, I… I… Could I… Could I go by Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Danes, instead? I mean, Gilmore is a part of me. And I know it always will be… but I kind of like having it there, you know? I love being Lorelai Danes, but… doesn't Gilmore-Danes sound all the more cooler?" she rambled.

Luke leaned over, careful to keep one hand on the steering wheel, and planted a kiss on her lips. Lorelai melted at his touch, her mind drawing a blank. As Luke pulled away, he smiled.

"Whatever you want," he conceded.

Lorelai smiled.

"So!" She exclaimed, whirling to face the road. "Martha's Vineyard?"

"To Martha's Vineyard," Luke agreed.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? **

**Doesn't matter, review it. **

**....Please? **


	4. Taking Flight

**As promised, Literati && Lena! (:**

**Probably not the Literati people are expecting, but I don't want Rory to just... you know, jump straight to Jess. **

**So we're gonna ease our way into this, okay? **

**Chapter Title refers to the fledgling relationship of Rory/Jess, the take-off of the Lorelai/Luke marriage, and the start of a new era for the Bellvilles.**

**One more thing: You know the A/N in chapter one? About Martha? Well her birth was altered. So that it could be used for the third baby. Because, personally, I find this a great scene of Lorelai almost being pregnant. And, well, I'm turning it into reality.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls, the gender of Sookie's baby would have been discovered, at least. **

* * *

Rory watched as the truck drove off, a small wave of sadness washing over her. Her mother, Lorelai, sixteen years her senior, was married. And she, in the prime of her age, was not. Shouldn't it be the other way around; her mother being the one to watch _her _drive away? She thought so, it sure seemed like that would be more appropriate. But it apparently wasn't so.

And for the first time since her break-up with Logan, she felt like crying. She had been happy the last few months, seemingly able to forget the Huntzberger who had so quickly won her heart. But now, as she watched Luke and her mother escape the outside world to Martha's Vineyard, she was reminded of Logan. She was reminded of what he used to mean to her, what they could have been: everything. And she was reminded of what they were now: nothing.

They were nothing. Rory had completely rejected his apology, his plea for forgiveness. She had turned him down and refused acceptance. She had shunned their relationship. Maybe even their friendship. Were they still friends in his eyes? Did she even _want _to be friends with him anymore?

As she pondered this over, she didn't realize someone standing beside her; a certain someone, with dark brown, almost black hair and a small grin on his face, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey," he said.

Rory gave a startled cry. She turned around, only to find Jess standing beside her.

"Oh, hi," she replied in surprise, "Enjoy the wedding?"

"Yeah, I guess," Jess responded, giving a small shrug.

"I thought you'd be happy about this. You know how long everyone's waited for this."

"I know, but…" Jess trailed.

"'But' what?" Rory asked in confusion.

"I wrote another book, you know," Jess quickly changed the subject. Out of his back pocket, he withdrew a short novel and handed it to Rory.

She read the cover. _A Thousand Lies_ by Jess Mariano.

"You wrote another book?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jess nodded, "It's not much, but work was slow, and I managed to string something together. Publisher liked it, so… here it is."

Rory read the small description on the back, managing to smile at the synopsis.

"This is great, Jess. Really," she attempted to hand it back to him, but he only shook his head.

"No, keep it," he insisted.

Smiling, Rory nodded, "So what have you been up to?"

Jess pointed to the book.

"I mean, other than this," Rory laughed.

"Well, nothing really. Same as last time," he replied, "And what about yourself? Back at Yale?"

"Yes, I'm back at Yale. I went back a few months ago," Rory responded. She would never admit that one of the reasons she had returned to Yale was from Jess's influence. No, that was just too much for her.

"That's good," Jess smiled. "So how are you and that jerk doing?"

"_Jerk?"_ Rory asked in confusion, before she realized he meant Logan. "Oh, Logan?"

Jess nodded. "We aren't… we aren't together anymore."

"Oh, sorry…" he struggled to find the right words.

Rory waved off the comment with her hands, shrugging.

"It's not important," she stated.

Jess eyed her suspiciously, but didn't make a comment in response.

"So why aren't you happy for Luke?" Rory asked.

"I never said I wasn't happy for him," Jess defended.

"Okay, so why aren't you thrilled, then?"

"I _am_ thrilled. I like seeing Luke happy. He helped me out… more of a father to me than any of Liz's boyfriends were."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Well… since they're married… we're cousins, now. Step-cousins, but… still," Jess explained.

"And? You don't want to be associated with me or something?" Rory asked stupidly.

"No, no, it's not that," Jess replied uneasily.

"Then what?"

"I—" Jess started, but was cut off by April, who wandered towards them.

"Hey, Rory, Jess," she greeted.

"Hi April," Rory waved.

Jess made no response.

"So I guess we're sisters now, huh?" she asked brightly.

Rory nodded, "Guess so."

"That's so weird to think of it like that… but Lorelai's cool. So you're cool, too."

"Err… thanks," Rory stammered.

"I'm gonna get going. I'll be in town for a few days, though. Maybe we could get together some time for dinner?" Jess asked.

Rory nodded, "I'd like that."

"Take care of yourself, Rory," Jess, his hands still in his pockets, turned and wandered off.

_Cousins._ Why did it seem like that word was supposed to mean something to her? They were cousins now, so what? Did he not want to be? But that didn't make any sense, usually families were supposed to be thrilled at uniting as one. So what was the problem?

But upon asking it to herself, she realized the problem. Oh, and what a big problem it was.

_They were cousins._ And yet… and yet she was _positive _Jess still loved her. Since three years ago, when he showed up at Yale, since one year ago, when he showed up at her grandparent's… he had loved her since before then, even. Why hadn't she realized it? Well, she had, so perhaps a better question would be, why didn't she do anything about it? One simple answer, three not-so-simple words: Dean and Logan. Three years ago, when Jess had shown up at her dorm, she had been with Dean. She had chosen Dean over Jess. And now, thinking about it, she wasn't sure why. Sure, Dean was nice, kind, and caring. But he was too protective. What if she had run off with Jess then? How would things have changed?

For one, she knew that if she had run away with Jess, she would not have met Logan. And if she hadn't met Logan, she wouldn't have had to deal with all the pain and betrayal she was experiencing currently. She most likely wouldn't have finished Yale, and would probably forever be at war with her mother. This thought sent her to her senses, and realized that running off with Jess Mariano wouldn't have been a good idea.

And Logan. _Logan Huntzberger._ When Jess had visited, she had been dating Logan. Yes, he had originally come just as a friend. Or had he? He came with a new book, but was there a hidden meaning behind his visit? He had asked for dinner, she had obliged. But when Logan came, everything went haywire. It was like they were arguing over her… and maybe they were. Jess and Logan… fighting over _her_, Rory Gilmore... Who would have thought? And when she talked to Jess, it was his strong and powerful words that had actually sent her into overdrive, rethinking her drop-out from Yale. Not Logan, not Paris, not even her mother. No, it had been Jess. Why hadn't she realized this?

But now, there was little hope. _They were cousins._ No, they weren't related. But they were related by marriage, now. And there was little she could do to change it. Their relationship was doomed, doomed never to continue. Or was it? She couldn't think of any way around it, she couldn't think of an excuse.

It had been a few months since she left Logan, but it seemed like it had been just days. And just _jumping _from Logan to Jess? It didn't feel right. But she wasn't going to jump from Logan to Jess, was she? _Was she? _No, she decided. She'd take it slow. One day at a time.

Besides, she couldn't love Jess. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't.

They were _cousins._

* * *

The rest of the week went by quickly, the citizens of Stars Hollow still abuzz with the Gilmore-Danes marriage spirit. The two returned to Stars Hollow at the end of the week, and it was a good thing they did. Only hours after they returned to the Gilmore house – now Luke's house, as well – they had received a call from Jackson. Frantic, he conveyed the news to Lorelai. His sentences fragmented, Lorelai was lucky just to receive the gist.

"Sookie – labor – hospital – be there," then, the line had disconnected. So, though tired and yearning to relax, Lorelai sped off to the hospital. Luke, hating hospitals, had stayed at home to unpack.

As Lorelai reached the hospital, she quickly found Sookie's room. It wasn't hard to find with the way Sookie was carrying on.

"I'm breathing. Hey, was that Andy Dick out in the hallway?" Sookie asked eagerly.

"No, honey. This happened last time. You go into labor, you start thinking you see famous people," Jackson replied.

Lorelai strolled in after them, "Need any help?"

"No, we're good," Jackson responded.

Mumbling something about going to find food, he shuffled out of the room, leaving Lorelai and Sookie alone in the maternity ward room. Lorelai pulled an apple from her purse and took a bite.

"Really?" Sookie asked in surprise. Lorelai, who had been inspecting her apple, looked up in surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"You're eating an apple?" It was more of a statement than a question, but the way Sookie had said it implied a question rather.

"Oh, sorry. I'll put it away," Lorelai apologized and began to stuff it back into her purse.

"No, eat! I'm just surprised, it's not your thing," Sookie pointed out.

"I know! But we were by a vending machine checking you in. It was there, and it looked good," Lorelai explained.

"It does look good," Sookie agreed, "Oh, it looks like Ben Stiller."

Lorelai stared at her apple for a moment, as if trying to make the comparison.

"Um, hey, Sookie, when did you know for sure?"

"About what?"

"That you were pregnant. How could you tell?"

"Don't you remember? 'Norman Mailer!'" Sookie mimicked her 'Norman Mailer' scream and flailed her arms wildly.

"Mm. Right, right. Norman Mailer…."

"I wonder how Norman is. I had a dream about him the other night, and he was yelling at someone to shut up and read Joyce," Sookie continued.

"How long was the Norman Mailer moment after you and Jackson, uh…" she struggled to find an appropriate term, "conceived?"

"Wow. Uh, well, I don't know, a few weeks?"

"It was weeks?" Lorelai asked worriedly.

"I think…" Sookie replied.

"And you didn't know before? Not a feeling, or anything?"

"I don't know. You've had one before, don't you remember?"

"Yeah. It's been a while, though…"

"Why are you asking?" Sookie asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Just being in a maternity ward makes me wonder about these things," Lorelai lied.

The nurse ambled into the room and made a beeline for Sookie, "I'm going to see how far along she is. We'll be a couple of minutes."

Lorelai nodded, "Oh, sure." She looked at the nurse and whispered to her friend, "She looks like Marlo Thomas."

"See? It's not just me!" Sookie exclaimed.

Lorelai smiled, but headed out of the room.

" I'll be outside."

Lorelai left the room, and looked around. A doctor passed her, and she caught up to him quickly. "Oh, excuse me, uh, Doctor?"

The man stopped walking, his clipboard in hand. He turned around. "Yes?"

" Hi," Lorelai greeted, "You're not off to save a life, are you?"

"Not at the moment," the doctor laughed.

"Okay. Just, quick question," Lorelai replied, "Um, pregnancy tests. What's the deal with them now? I haven't taken one in a couple of decades, and I was just wondering if they work any differently…"

"No, they're more accurate now, but the process is similar," the doctor replied.

"Okay, so let's say you do it. Have sex. You know. How soon after can a test tell you anything?" she asked.

"At least two weeks," he said.

"Not two days?"

"It won't be definitive after just two days."

"Boy. Sword of Damocles is really hovering over you for a couple weeks, there, huh?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Pretty much," he responded with the same small smile.

"Home tests can be pretty tricky, too. Can't buy one where I live, because people would see, and talk – it's a small town. And even afterwards, the garbage man could see the box in the trash, and blab, and you know, I like my garbage man, but again, it's a small town," she was talking to herself now, and quickly caught it before she bored him to death any more.

"It's not your problem. So, there's no machine?"

"Machine?" the doctor asked quizzically.

" Yeah, a machine you could stick me in. You know, putting pig vessels in people. Isn't there a machine that could tell me right away, away from the prying eyes of the garbage man?" she asked.

" You really need to wait and take the test at the proper time," he advised.

"Okay, see, I'm eating an apple. Now, normally, this would not be a sign of anything except hunger. Except I don't eat much fruit. I know I should, but I don't have a hankering for it. Had it when I was pregnant with my first kid, though. Kept craving those apples. And this morning, boy, was I craving an apple," Lorelai rambled, holding the apple as evidence up in the palm of her hand.

" Well, that could be a sign…" The doctor trailed off uncertainly.

"It could?" Lorelai asked worriedly.

"Or not," the doctor shrugged. Lorelai looked away.

"Okay. You're nice. You're sweet. I've taken up too much of your time. Thank you."

"No problem," the doctor walked down the hall, leaving Lorelai to think to herself.

"Okay," she muttered.

Her mind busy with worry, Lorelai fished her phone out of her purse. She leaned as casually as she could against the wall, turning her head when new mothers ambled by.

"Pick up…" she muttered mostly to herself, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as the monotonous sound of the phone ringing shook her ears.

"Hey!" Rory greeted lively.

Lorelai sank into a nearby chair, putting her head in her hands.

"Hey…" she replied.

"Something wrong?" Rory questioned.

"No…No…" Lorelai paused for a moment, "Well, yes."

"What?"

"I think… I might be pregnant."

Rory stopped what she was doing, which wasn't much. She held the phone numbly in her ears.

"What?" she asked again.

"I might be pregnant," Lorelai repeated.

"You're sure about this?" Rory asked warily.

"I just ate an apple," Lorelai replied simply. She looked at the half-eaten apple in her hand.

"Oh, boy," Rory breathed, "But… is it so bad?"

Lorelai said nothing, merely shrugging her shoulders even though her daughter could not see the movement.

"I mean… it's Luke," she continued, "….it is Luke, right?"

"Oh, no. It's could be Robin Williams," Lorelai replied sarcastically, "We met the other night and," she gave a small giggle, "he was just so sweet…"

Now, she switched back to her normal voice, a hint of annoyance and stress in her tone. "Of course it's Luke."

"Just making sure!" Rory defended herself.

"Yeah, well. It's Luke."

"Then is it really all that bad?" Rory asked, "I mean, you love him… right?"

"Right," Lorelai said definitively, "but I don't know, kid… Am I ready for another kid? I mean, I don't know. And what about Luke? He's not ready to be a father, you know that."

"I think you're ready. And, Luke's got April. He has yet to rip her to shreds or emotionally scar her," Rory pointed out.

"True, but… I don't know. April is twelve, almost thirteen. This child would be only _days _when Luke first meets him-slash-her."

"Unless he avoids said child until the age of twelve." Upon getting no reply from her mother, Rory added a nervous, "I was kidding."

"I know… I guess it wouldn't be too bad…" Lorelai trailed.

"No, it'd be good. Really, _really _good," Rory encouraged.

"Okay… you-you have a good day, kiddo," Lorelai said, although she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Hey, you haven't talked to Luke about this yet, have you?"

"Ha, are you kidding? He'd freak. Especially since we just returned from Martha's Vineyard; he'd never want to go back there again. No, I think it's best to keep him in the dark. Just for a little while – until we're sure," she replied.

Rory nodded, though she was aware her mother could not see. "You're probably right."

"Yeah, well, I'll let you go now."

"Kay. Bye, Mom."

"See you."

"It'll be okay. Really," Rory reassured one last time. Without a response, the line disconnected.

* * *

_Mom's pregnant?_ She asked herself. It wasn't definite, but the apple eating was definitely out of the norm. It could very well be a freak occurrence, but it sure was odd.

Her mother couldn't be pregnant! At twenty-one, that made Lorelai thirty-seven. Not old, but certainly not young, nor in prime condition. No, it should be the other way around Rory carrying a child and Lorelai watching despairingly from the sidelines.

Disgusted, Rory shook her head. She wasn't disgusted with her mother – no, never – but, rather, herself. Envious of her mother? Had she really stooped this low? Her mother, the magnificent Lorelai Gilmore, had been nothing but her guidepost over the years. And now she was spiting her.

_The person I most wanted to be… was her._

Oh, how that line fit. It had been part of her speech at her graduation from Chilton, and it still rang true. Rory still remembered this speech and constantly thought it to herself. There was her mother, happily married and possibly carrying her second child. And there was she, Rory, not married, not dating, and _not _carrying a child.

Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

Lorelai hung up quickly, only just managing to catch Rory's parting words.

_It'll be okay. Really._ It will be okay. She repeated those words to herself over and over, hoping the words would suddenly gain more meaning.

_Everything will be okay; I'm freaking out over nothing. _No matter how many times she told herself this, she could not get herself to believe it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't calm herself.

She paced back and forth in the ward, eyeing the apple in her hand longingly. It looked so good… and yet she forced herself to refrain from eating it. With a sigh, she made her way back towards Sookie and Jackson's room.

Just a few more weeks.

A few more weeks and she'd know for sure.

After wandering aimlessly around the hospital, having been sidetracked from returning to Sookie upon seeing a tray full of delicious junk food, Lorelai finally headed towards the room.

It had seemed like she had only been gone for a few minutes, and maybe she had. But as she entered the room, she found that a baby girl rested in the crook of Sookie's arm. Jackson stood beside her, proudly looking down at his new daughter. Just in front of him, four-year-old Davey and three-year-old Martha huddled close to the bedside rail, each attempting to get a closer look at the baby than the other.

Lorelai smiled. She rapped softly on the door, and the Bellville family looked up in surprise.

"Lorelai! There you are! We thought you left!" Sookie exclaimed.

"Oh, so you decided to have little Lena without me?" Lorelai teased.

"Oh no! Lore--… you're kidding," Sookie broke off mid-sentence, a sleep smile worn on her face.

"Helena Lorelai Bellville…" Lorelai whispered, watching the newborn doze peacefully.

A few moments later, a nurse came in. Carefully, she took the girl from Sookie and carried her off to be put in the nursery.

In confusion, Davey hurried after his new sister.

"Lena!" he squealed.

Jackson started for his son, but Lorelai reached the boy first. Crouching down to his level, she smiled.

"Hey, Davey!"

"Auntie Lorelai!"

"Yes, yes, Auntie Lorelai…" Lorelai nodded. She did her best not to flinch; 'auntie' made her seem older beyond her years.

"Took Lena!" he pointed past Lorelai to where he had seen the nurse disappear.

"She'll be back, Davey. She just took Lena to the nursery room, so they can keep an eye on her so she won't get sick. Do you want Lena to get sick?" she asked kindly.

Davey shook his head aggressively.

"Then let's leave Lena alone. You can get Daddy to take you to see her latter. There's a glass window you can see her through. Sorta like the zoo!"

Davey nodded and raced back to his father's side. He pulled on the leg of his jeans.

"I wanna go zoo!" he stated. Jackson looked up at Lorelai accusingly.

"I tried!" She threw up her hands in defeat.

A small grin on her face, she left the family alone and went over to the nursery. She leaned against the window and watched sleeping babies. Her gaze rested on Lena, and she couldn't help but smile again.

_Helena Lorelai Bellville_

_Female_

_9 June 2007, 9:53 A.M._

Just reading her name made Lorelai smile. Sookie, her best friend, had cared enough to name her third and final child after Lorelai herself. As Lorelai stood there, reflecting on her past and Rory's childhood, she barely noticed the man at her side.

"Hey," he greeted.

Just his voice was enough to make her leap for joy. She leaned against his shoulder, and he kissed her hair.

"Monosyllabic man strikes again," she teased.

Luke laughed. "So this is little Sookie," he stared through the window at the child.

"Yep," Lorelai replied, "What're you doing here?"

"Rory called. Had a question about something or other. I forgot. She said to call her back. Anyways, she suggested I drop by for a little while. Meet the baby. Well, I guess she more so _demanded _it. But… well… it looks like she's sleeping now."

"Yeah… sleeping…." Lorelai had barely been paying attention to Luke, her mind elsewhere. Her mind on the apple. The _stupid _apple! Why did it have to look so good? And _taste _good… Wh— Oh God. Maybe she _was _pregnant. Not only was she eating the apple, but she liked it, too!

Ah, Rory. She had to remember to thank that kid sometime. She had known – she always knew – what she needed most, and she'd send it her way. And right now? Right now she needed Luke.

Boy, did she need him now.

More than he knew.

* * *

**Sorta crappy... But I love the Literati in this. **

**Long-ish. x) Almost 4k without A/N. **

**You know the drill: Read. Review. **

**Simple. Easy. **

**So get to it! **

**And, a note: For people who think Jackson's last name is Melville (because I know there are people out there who think this), it's not. It's Bellville. "Blame Booze and Melville" is an allusion. Booze, referring to the fact that Lorelai was ALMOST pregnant, due to a little too much drinking. Melville, referring to Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick. When Rory stole a boat, she referred to Moby Dick and "taking to the sea." So, Blame Booze and Melville, the two conflicts of the show; booze and Moby Dick.**


	5. Water, Coffee, and a Dinner

**So, this took way longer than expected. Read the A/N at the end of this chapter to find out why. x)**

**I honestly didn't intend to take this long with this chapter, really.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls, writing this chapter would NOT have been as big of a problem as it was.**

* * *

The next two weeks passed by with great uncertainty. Lorelai had taken quickly to Lena and therefore split her time between the Dragonfly, Sookie's house, and Luke. She was spreading herself thin, but she was determined to keep herself busy so as not to let her mind wander to her possible pregnancy. She didn't want to worry Luke, and therefore lived her worry and irrational fear on her own.

She strolled through Sookie's house with little Lena in her arms, bringing her out to Sookie, who was resting on the couch. Placing the little girl in her mother's arms, Lorelai straightened.

"I'm going out, be back later," she said.

"Where?" Sookie asked curiously.

"I - doesn't matter. Be back soon, though, kay?"

She headed for the door, but Sookie's voice stopped her.

"Where?" Sookie asked again. It sounded like she was desperate for something to talk about, anything to keep her mind busy.

Lorelai sighed. She turned her head, one hand having made it to the door before her friend's voice had stopped her.

"Woodbridge," she stated.

"Why?" Sookie gasped.

"Because," Lorelai shrugged, "I need a pregnancy test."

"You're pregnant?" Sookie exclaimed.

"Well, that's sort of the point of the test; to discover if I am. I've been craving a lot of fruit, though..."

"Does Luke know?" Sookie asked.

"Uh, no. I didn't want to worry him. I'll tell him; depending on the results."

"Well, shoo, then! And tell me when you know for sure!" Sookie said.

Lorelai nodded, "O'course," she said and left the house without another word.

* * *

Lorelai stared blankly at the test, seeing it, but not. She held it in one hand, her phone pressed to her ear in the other.

"You're sure?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I don't think these things can lie."

"This is good, Mom. We'll meet at Luke's, okay? I'll come down from Yale; we don't really have a lot going on. I'll meet you in an hour."

Lorelai nodded, "kay. See you then, Rory."

She hung up the phone and refocused on the test, her face expressionless. She shook her head, dropped the test in the bag, folded it up and headed home back to Stars Hollow.

She headed for Luke's, the daunting '+' still flashing permanently in her mind. She was pregnant. She, Lorelai Gilmore-Danes: a mother. Again. And Luke Danes would be a father, again. History was indeed repeating itself.

As she drove home, she contemplated whether or not to tell Luke. Yes, she probably should. They were married now, and they told each other they wouldn't keep secrets. But this was huge. This was different. And while Lorelai was leaping for joy on the inside, she was terribly afraid Luke would bolt upon hearing the news. They had only _just _been married. Granted they had known each other for almost ten years prior, but still. The first year of marriage was supposed to be about adjusting and getting used to marriage, not having a baby. And for this reason, Lorelai was absolutely terrified Luke would bolt when she told him. _If_ she told him. Would she? She didn't know if she even could. Just confirming it with Rory had been trivial. She pulled up to Luke's and entered the diner. Rory, of course, had beaten her to the diner, but had snagged their usual table - err, tables.

"Already ordered the drinks," Rory said as she joined her.

"Great," Lorelai replied.

"So when're you gonna tell him?"

"I just got here, gimme a break!" Lorelai exclaimed weakly.

Rory rolled her eyes, "You have to tell him."

"I know. I will."

Just then, Luke came over with their drinks; coffee and water. He set the coffee in front of Lorelai and the water before Rory.

"Great choice, Rory. Maybe your mother's not such a big influence on you after all."

"Actually," Rory switched the two drinks, "You're crazy if you think I'm giving up coffee."

Lorelai stared down at the glass of water, then longingly switched her gaze to Rory's coffee.

"You're cruel," she pouted.

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Lorelai Danes, not drinking coffee?" he asked.

"Uh... guess not," Lorelai replied uneasily.

"Well okay then. What'll you two have to eat?"

Lorelai blinked in surprise. He hadn't questioned the water! But then again, he knew better not to question when Lorelai made the decision not to have coffee in the morning. Lorelai opened her mouth to speak, but Luke was already walking away. Rory had ordered while Lorelai had zoned out. She blinked and switched her gaze to Rory.

"Uh, thanks."

"You still have to tell him."

"I know."

"Don't chicken out."

"I won't," Lorelai sighed in annoyance.

"So when are you going to?" Rory pressed.

"I don't know, Rory. When the timing is right."

"Oh, like in the delivery room?" Rory asked dryly.

"No," Lorelai replied indignantly, "Soon, I swear."

"Fine," Rory muttered, though she didn't seem at all convinced.

Luke came by with their food, dropping it on the table and staring at it in disgust.

"_How_ do you eat _all_ this junk food, yet you both stay so thin?" he wondered aloud.

"Metabolism, baby!" Lorelai replied enthusiastically, patting his arm lovingly.

Luke stared down at her, smiled, and wandered off.

"So, kid. What're you doing tonight? 'Cause I was thinking you could stop by the house. Luke's gonna cook something _good_. Then maybe we could get him to watch the Godfather with us."

"I'd love to... but I can't," Rory said.

"Aww, why not?" Lorelai asked in dismay.

"Err... I've got dinner with... someone," Rory replied evasively.

"Ooh, a date?" Lorelai squealed.

"No, not a date. Just two old friends catching up over dinner," Rory explained.

"Who?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Uhh... Jess," Rory responded.

"Jess _Mariano_?" Lorelai asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Rory confirmed, "Jess Mariano."

"Oh. Well. That's cool. Have... fun?"

Rory gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, okay."

* * *

Rory looked around the restaurant for sight of Jess. A few moments later, she spotted him sitting at a table on his own. Warily, she strode up to the table and slid in on the opposite side of the table. Jess had been reading and therefore did not realize she was there until he looked up to check on the time. When he did look up, and noticed Rory sitting there, he closed his book and set it aside.

"Hey," he greeted lamely.

"Hey," Rory smiled.

"I didn't think you'd come..." Jess trailed.

"Why?" Rory asked in concern, "I said I would."

"I know," Jess nodded, "I just thought maybe you forgot."

"I wouldn't forget, Jess," Rory argued.

Jess shrugged, waving the comment off.

"So uh…. I finished your book," Rory said.

"Really?" Jess asked, genuinely surprised, "and?"

"And it was good!"

"Ha," Jess laughed, "Yeah, sure."

"It was!" Rory insisted, "The one character…. James. He wasn't uh… based off a certain diner owner, was he?"

Jess laughed again. He shrugged, "might have."

The two sat in silence for a while, neither able to think of something to say.

"So… what have you been up to since last time? Let's see… that must have been after you met," Rory paused, stammering out the name of her former boyfriend, "L-Logan… a few months ago."

Jess nodded, "Right, _him_…."

"Jess," Rory warned. She wasn't quite ready to hear rude words about Logan. Not yet.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I've been good. You know, the usual. Writing…. Nothing much else. But hey, what about you, Miss Yale Almost-Senior?"

"Junior?" Rory laughed, "I'm good, everyone's good. I can't say much else has happened, Yale's been pretty boring. Stars Hollow's…. Stars Hollow."

"Yeah," Jess answered, grinning slightly.

* * *

"Really?" Sookie asked.

"Pretty positive," Lorelai nodded.

"That's great!" Sookie exclaimed. She embraced her friend emotionally, but Lorelai remained rigid where she stood.

"I don't know... is it?"

"What do you mean? You always wanted another kid."

"I know. But... Luke. Is he ready? At one point I thought he was ready for kids, but what about now? After everything?"

"You should tell him."

Sookie was giving her the same response Rory had.

"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna get to the inn before Michel burns it down out of boredom and loneliness."

Sookie laughed, "Okay."

Heading for the door, she tossed a "Bye Martha!" over her shoulder quietly as she left; Lena having been asleep and Davey being with his father.

Lorelai opened the door to the Dragonfly and hurried behind the front desk. She sorted through the mail absently and barely noticed Michel beside her.

"_What_ are you doing?" he asked in his thick French accent.

Lorelai jumped slightly, startled, "God, Michel," she exclaimed, "Nothing, just sorting through the mail."

"Why?"

"Cause it's just begging to be sorted."

"Why?" Michel asked again.

"Well, maybe some of the mail wants to be in Gryffindor or... or Slytherin. Just making sure they get sorted, Michel."

"_I_ will sort it," Michel argued.

"Aww, Michel, I'll do it."

"NO. This is _my_ desk," Michel exclaimed.

"Hey. I'm the pregnant one; I get dibs on being the possessive, hormonal one."

Michel looked up in surprise, "You're pregnant?"

"Uh... yeah," Lorelai replied with a smile.

Michel stood there for a moment, staring at Lorelai.

"Great, just what I need; _two _of you." He walked away.

Lorelai rolled her eyes; typical Michel. Look like he was going to care, then do something totally contradictory. She sighed and continued sorting through the mail.

As the door to the Dragonfly opened, Lorelai paid no attention. It wasn't until they reached the front desk that she looked up. It was Luke.

"Hey," she greeted warmly, "What're you doing here?"

She came out from behind the counter and slid closer to Luke. Looking up at him cheerfully, he leaned down and kissed her. One hand slithered around her waist; the other set something on the counter. Lorelai pulled away eagerly, having smelled the items he brought with him.

"Coffee!" she exclaimed.

Luke chuckled, "Thought I'd drop by for lunch."

She reached over to pick up the cup, but out of nowhere Michel appeared and took the drink from the counter, a small gin on his face.

"Hey!" Luke growled.

"What? She can't have it anyways. I thought it was for me!" he defended.

"Why the _hell_ would I bring you coffee? And what do you mean she can't have coffee?"

Lorelai shifted uncomfortably, desperately trying to send a signal to Michel to shut up.

"It has caffeine," Michel stated plainly. He didn't notice Lorelai, or maybe he pretended not to. His eyes were focused on Luke.

"Yeah, and? I never considered you to be one to interfere with Lorelai's coffee habits," Luke commented.

"Usually, no," Michel replied, "but I do however care for the innocent. And the growing child inside of her should not be punished for their mother's insane ways." Michel then walked away again, coffee in hand.

Luke stared after him. He turned to Lorelai and let her slip from his grasp, she having pulled away in unease.

"Lorelai?" he asked.

"Luke... I-I'm pregnant," Lorelai stammered. She stared him straight in the face, her gaze unwavering. Luke blinked, his mouth slightly agape.

"What? Why... Why didn't you tell me?"

Now, Lorelai hung her head. "I - Uh, well... I was... scared, I guess?"

"Scared? Why?" Luke asked, his anger rising slowly.

"I was scared you'd..." she searched for the word she had used earlier, "bolt."

"Bolt? You think I would leave you?" he asked in disbelief.

"No, Luke! That's _not _what I meant," Lorelai corrected desperately.

"Sounds like that's what you meant. You thought I'd freak when you told me, but you told Michel, Rory-"

"She's my daughter, Luke!" Lorelai intervened.

"Yeah? Well, I'm your _husband_."

"I know... I'm sorry," Lorelai whispered.

"I mean, does that word mean nothing to you, 'husband?' Sure seems like it. You should've told me first - second if you _had_ to tell Rory first. I bet you even told Sookie. So that's three people you told before me; Sookie, Michel _and_ Rory. They all knew before I did. Anyone else you told? The guy who serves your coffee-"

"You serve my coffee," Lorelai put in.

"- the woman at the inn? A guy off the streets?" Luke rambled.

"Luke... please... calm down and we can talk about it," Lorelai pleaded.

Luke shook his head, "I can't do this right now, Lorelai. Not here. We'll talk later." Gruffly, the man spoke and left without another word.

"Luke!" Lorelai called after him, but the door had already slammed behind him. She stared after him, gripping the counter for support.

She knew this would happen. She hid it from him - or at least, she didn't tell him - and he took off. Would he have if she had told him immediately, like she should have? Originally, Lorelai had thought he would, but now she wasn't so sure. He might have been thrilled. But here she was _avoiding_ telling him, and he had to find out from the less-than-sympathetic Michel.

"I'm sorry..." she said softly.

* * *

Well, this was a bust. They had been sitting at the table for over ten minutes, and the only interesting topic they discussed was James, from Jess's novel, being characterized after Jess's uncle and Rory's stepfather, Luke Danes. And they didn't even discuss it all that much. As much as she wanted to get to know Jess – again – it was awfully difficult when there was so little to discuss.

"So how _are _Luke and Lorelai? Have fun at Martha's Vineyard?" he asked, probing Rory for an update on his uncle's life. He certainly wasn't going to ask Luke, and Rory wouldn't be bothered answering.

"Oh… they had fun all right," Rory nodded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jess asked, his head slightly tilted to the side.

"Err… well, she's pregnant."

"Really?" Jess asked in astonishment.

"Yeah. She's kinda freaked out about it."

"And Luke?"

"Since I talked to her this morning, he doesn't know," Rory replied.

"Hmm," Jess observed silently.

"Yeah," Rory sighed, "So I guess you're gonna have another cousin!"

"Great," Jess snorted.

And silence…again. A waiter came by and they ordered their meals.

They started talking again, but were interrupted by Rory's phone. She fished it out of her purse; her mother's number flashed across the screen.

"Speaking of… Sorry, I have to take this," she apologized, "it's my mom."

Jess nodded, and Rory answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I told him," Lorelai stated as soon as Rory answered, panic rising in her voice.

"And?" Rory's eyes widened slightly.

"And… well… he came by the Dragonfly. I told him a few minutes ago. He came by with coffee, and—"

"Oh no," Rory gasped.

"—Michel was there—"

"Oh _no_," Rory repeated, shaking her head.

"—and he let it slip that I had a 'growing child in me' and that he wasn't about to let the innocent pay for my 'insane ways of eating.' So then Michel ran off with my coffee, and Luke asked me for clarification. So then, I had to tell him, didn't I? There wasn't anything I could say, and I was all out of excuses…."

"So what'd he do?" Rory asked.

"He left," she replied.

"Left…?" Rory trailed off in confusion.

"He probably went back to the diner. He said he wasn't going to talk about it now. He was upset... I know that. I told him I was scared he'd leave us, and he was like, 'you think I'd leave you?' and… yeah," Lorelai sighed from the other end.

"Oh. Well, just talk to him later, I'm sure it'll work out fine," Rory assured.

"Yeah….." Lorelai agreed after a moments' silence. Rory could tell her mother wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she'd have to be.

"Okay, well. I hate to rush you, but I've gotta go."

"Oh, right. Your date with Jess."

"Not a date," Rory argued. She didn't notice Jess look at her in surprise.

"Fine. Your _whatever-it-is _with Jess. Tell me how it went later."

"'Kay, bye mom."

"See 'ya 'round, kid."

Rory hung up the phone.

"So she told him," Jess observed.

"Yeah, apparently," Rory nodded.

"So why did your mom think this was a date?" Jess asked suddenly.

"I don't know. Maybe because she knows…. I don't know," Rory cut herself off, turning a slight shade of pink.

"Knows what?" Jess asked.

"I, uh… I dunno. She knows we used to date and all and she knows that Logan and I broke up. She probably thought I was… jumping. I guess," Rory explained.

"Are you?" Jess asked, "jumping, I mean."

Rory thought for a moment, "I don't think I am…"

"And I guess she also thinks I still might… I don't know, have feelings for you, I guess. So she thinks we're on a date. Or, she _thought _we were," Rory added.

Jess sat silently, keeping his thoughts to himself.

The rest of the evening went by normally; the conversation picked up when they found a better topic to discuss.

As the dinner drew to a close, Jess dropped Rory off at Yale with the promise that they would meet again.

* * *

**So, uh, the problem: Literati. ****I've come to a realization today... I can't write it.**

**Yeah. I completely FAIL at it. I had everything else finished a few days ago, and Literati was the only element from this chapter missing. But I couldn't get myself to write it. My friend says it's because I know Rogan is better. And you know, I think she may be right. Or maybe it's because I love JavaJunkie the most, and I just can't dedicate myself to any other pairing.**

**Whatever the reason, ALPOH is dropping Literati; I'm not going to be writing it out like I did in this chapter. I might have snip-its, or Rory might talk to Lorelai about her relationship with Jess, but it's not going to be the focus that it is in this chapter. I just can't write those reading just for Literati: I'm sorry. I truly am. I was literally pulling my hair out over here, though. I don't think I can take it anymore. /=**

**Again, I'm really sorry about that.**

**So, love it? Hate it?  
Don't care; review it.**

**And I know the Literati is horrible in this. Don't bother telling me. XDDD **


	6. Dingbang Danes and Surprising Reactions

**Andddd, Chapter six of A Little Piece of Heaven! Woo! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls... I'm running out of 'if's... Err... If I owned Gilmore Girls, I don't own Gilmore Girls, okay? x)**

* * *

Lorelai stared up at Luke's diner from the bottom of the stairs. It seemed daunting now… scary. He had said they would talk later, and they had, but the subject of the baby had not been brought about. Was he still mulling? Surely not! She switched her weight from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do. Weston's was just across the street – it was a good option. But then, her daughter's voice rang in her ears through her cell phone.

"Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walkin' cross the flo-o-o-or…" Rory sang encouragingly.

"That's it; no more Christmas classics for you," Lorelai scolded.

"Mom," Rory stated seriously, attempting to hint at the meaning behind the allusion.

"No, Rory! Those things are starting to turn against me!" Lorelai argued with a hint of faux fear in her voice.

"Mom, just go in," her daughter stated plainly.

"I don't know, kid…" Lorelai paced nervously in front of the diner. She had already ascended and descended the stairs several times, never actually making it to the door. She didn't know what to do, whether to go in or not. She had a good hour before she had to be at the inn, and decided to use the time to attempt to smooth things over with Luke. But her courage had faltered upon reaching the diner, so there she stood in front of Luke's, talking to her daughter and stalling from entering the establishment.

"Go," Rory said forcefully.

"Alright, fine. _Fine. _Going…" Lorelai marched up the stairs.

"Going…?" Rory asked for clarification.

"Gone!" Lorelai quipped as she entered the diner.

"Alright, I heard the bell jingle. I'm off. Call me later?"

"Thanks for the pep talk. Catch that baseball."

"Anytime." The line went dead and Lorelai stuffed her phone into her purse. She approached the counter and painted a smile on her face. Luke was sorting through receipts. The dish cloth was draped over his shoulder and he grunted to himself. She took a breath, calmed her racing heart, and slid into a seat in front of him. She was here to talk – to discuss the subject she had meant to be discussed last night. But it had not been brought about, and she was dying to know what he thought.

"Hey." It was clear her presence startled him. He looked up in surprise. Upon confirmation that it was in fact his wife, he laid the pencil on the counter, the receipts in his hand along with it.

"Lorelai," he greeted.

"So uh, you weren't at the house this morning."

"Yeah. I had an early delivery," Luke explained.

"Right, right… So, Luke—"

"Coffee?" Luke interrupted.

"Um, no… Luke—" Lorelai tried again, but was once again cut off.

"You sure? It's good coffee."

"Yeah, I _know _it is," Lorelai sighed, "but—"

"But what? Take some coffee!" Luke pulled a cup from beneath the counter and set it on the table. Then, he reached behind him and grabbed the coffee pot and poured her coffee. Lorelai stared at the cup of caffeine confusedly.

"Luke, I can't drink this coffee." It killed her. Not only that she couldn't actually have it due to her pregnancy, but because Luke didn't remember such big news. Or maybe he chose to forget. Either way, the gesture hurt. But the five words killed her; _I can't drink this coffee._ For nine months, she would be without her oxygen. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to survive! She glanced at Luke. Had he forgotten their conversation yesterday at the Dragonfly? Impossible; the news was far too big to forget. So she settled for the idea that he had simply decided to forget the incident had ever occurred. The gesture – or, non-gesture – hurt. As much as she wanted that cup of coffee, she pushed it gently away. She looked up at him oddly, unable to keep the look of utter confusion from her face. _Please understand, Luke. Please do… something…_

"Why not? You _love _coffee. I don't under—oh… right…" A look of realization dawned on his face.

"Uh, yeah. So anyways," Lorelai drummed her fingers on the counter, "while we're on the subject…"

Luke replaced her coffee with a glass of water, passing the cup of coffee to another customer. He seemed unfazed, but that was Luke. He showed little-to-no emotion, he was impassive for the most part. He was Lucas Danes, unfriendly to most of everyone. "You heading to Sookie's? Or the inn?"

"Uh, the inn. Sookie's later. But Luke, err… can we talk?"

"Not now; I'm busy."

Lorelai glanced around the diner. It was fairly empty aside from a few customers who were idly chatting by the window. "Uh, yeah. I can tell. 'NYC train station' busy here."

Luke sighed in aggravation, "Alright, fine. What?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lorelai asked suddenly, suddenly worried about her husband. He was upset, clearly, but… she didn't think it was this bad.

"Nothing," Luke growled.

"I disagree. Let's go." She hopped out of her stool and rounded the counter. Clamping her hand around Luke's forearm, she dragged him towards the stairs.

"Lorelai! I'm working!" Luke exclaimed as he was dragged unwillingly out from behind his counter. Lorelai marched up the stairs, pushed into his apartment, dragged him inside, closed the door and spun around. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Luke in disbelief.

"Luke, I'm _pregnant_."

"I know. So?"

"_So_… you said we'd talk."

"Yeah, later," Luke nodded.

"Hello!" Lorelai threw up at hands, "It's later."

Luke paced impatiently. He would rather be down in the diner than having this conversation, but Lorelai was blocking the door. And no doubt she would refuse to let him pass until they talked. But he didn't know what to make of the situation. Lorelai was pregnant. With his child. But he hadn't heard the news from her, but rather from Michel, the grumpy stud of a Dragonfly manager. It was big news; he couldn't help but feel angered that he didn't learn it from his wife. "Fine. So talk."

"I'm sorry," she started. Luke snorted, but she didn't let the motion sway her. "I should've told you. I was _going _to, but… Michel…" Lorelai rambled on.

"When did you find out?" Luke asked.

"_That _morning, I swear. I ate an apple at the hospital when I was with Sookie two weeks ago, and I sorta thought something then, but I wasn't sure… so I only told Rory. I didn't want to freak anyone out – I didn't want to freak _you _out. So, two weeks later – yesterday – I went to get a test. I called Rory. I talked to Sookie, and it completely slipped when I was talking to Michel. It's hard to keep anything away from him; I didn't mean to tell him. And, honestly, I _was _gonna tell you – at home. But, you know Michel; he can't keep his mouth shut with anything. You remember that he ruined our surprise birthday gift to Sookie…"

"You were going to tell me?" Luke asked.

"_Yes_, Luke. I _was_, honestly." She spoke almost pleadingly.

"You're really pregnant?" Luke asked.

"Yep. There's really a little kid growing inside of me." Almost teasingly, she patted her stomach. Her eyes flashed proudly, and Luke's demeanor seemed to soften exponentially. She was happy, that was all that mattered. He glanced at her nervously.

"We can't keep on like this; keeping secrets from each other. We have to stay open with one another, tell each other when something big like this happens. No secrets anymore, okay?"

"Alright," Lorelai nodded. Luke's eyebrows rose slightly. "_Okay,_" she smiled.

Luke stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Her head sank against his shoulder.

"I'm scared," she admitted softly. And she was. She was thirty-eight; not that old, but not that young. It had been twenty-two years since her last child; no doubt it would be different this time around. But she had Luke now – that made things different on a number of levels. She started to cry, wiping her eyes with Luke's sleeve. She was ready for this, wasn't she? This was the 'middle' she had wanted with Luke. Now that she had it, though, she wasn't exactly sure. Luke ran a reassuring hand through her brown curls, whispering softly into her ear.

"It's okay, Lorelai," he soothed, "I'm here. I'll _always _be here." Lorelai smiled against his arm. Yes, he would always be there for her. He was one of the few permanent figures in her life – and not just because they were married. He had stayed _in _her life throughout everything. Since the beginning of her life in Stars Hollow, her relationship with Luke had never wavered. They had their spats, but deep down she always knew she could always count on Diner Man Danes.

"Yeah… It'll be okay…" she agreed quietly. She pried herself away from Luke and smiled brightly up at him.

"A kid, Luke…" she mused.

"Yep… a kid. You know… do you know the—"

"Nope, not yet," Lorelai cut off, "Not for a few more weeks."

"Ah…" Luke nodded slowly.

"But we can make up names until then, won't that be fun?" Lorelai asked eagerly.

"Oh, jeez…" Luke sighed.

Suddenly, the prospect of thinking up names brought light to the formerly-dull and disinteresting prospect of having a baby. She hadn't been looking forward to it so much, but now it just might be worth it.

"Oh, like Dingbang!" she exclaimed.

"What kind of name is Dingbang?" Luke asked in disgust.

"It's one of the most popular names!" Lorelai defended her choice, her mouth agape.

"Yeah, in what universe?" he challenged.

"China!"

"Oy…" Luke shook his head. He should've known.

"Oy with the poodles already!" Lorelai proclaimed, "Man. Rory's gonna be so proud I actually used our catchphrase…"

"We're not naming this child _Dingbang_."

"Well of course not!" Luke gave a sigh of relief, glad that his wife had come down from Lorelailand. But his bliss didn't last long. "If they would be a girl that would be extremely odd and uncomfortable. Poor girl, stuck with a boy's name…"

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Hey, is it possible to have a Chinese kid?" Lorelai asked.

"I… don't think so."

"Are you sure? Because Chinese babies are pretty damn cute. Wouldn't that be cool if we had a Chinese kid?"

"I don't think it's possible, sorry."

"Damn it," Lorelai sighed with feigned anger.

"I'm sure we can come up with something else," Luke laughed.

* * *

"I still don't understand why I'm doing this," Lorelai sighed.

"Because, it's the right thing to do."

"Eh…" Lorelai shrugged.

"Because you love them?" Luke offered.

At this, Lorelai actually laughed. "Ha, you're funny!" She pointed childishly at Luke, a grin lighting up her face.

"Because you love _me _and I want this?" Luke asked.

He knew he had won. Lorelai opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just glared at her husband.

"You're good," she grumbled. Luke smirked victoriously.

Resignedly, Lorelai rang the doorbell. After a few moments of waiting, the door swung open to reveal Emily Gilmore.

"Lorelai!" She seemed oblivious to Luke's presence. As usual.

"Hi Mom," Lorelai smiled, "can we talk to you?"

"'We'?" Emily tore her eyes away from her daughter and noticed her husband. "Oh, Luke." She seemed to grimace, but hid the act well. "Why of course, come in." She stepped aside and motioned the duo inside. "I'll fetch your father." The stern woman floated away.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let it be noted this is the first time Emily Gilmore has answered the door and fetched my father from his study herself," Lorelai whispered to Luke. He laughed and pulled off his coat. Lorelai did the same and found a spot to hang them. "She probably just fired the last maid. Damn, and I was starting to like her!"

"Lorelai, watch your language," Emily scolded, leading the way into the living room with Richard following faithfully behind.

"Sorry mother," Lorelai apologized weakly, not sounding the least bit sorry. She and Luke followed Emily and Richard into the living room. Her parents took up posts in the two chairs while Lorelai and Luke settled themselves on the couch.

"So, what is it you would like to discuss?" Richard inquired.

Lorelai looked at Luke, who nodded ever so slightly in encouragement. "Alright, well…" She took a deep breath, shifting uneasily in her seat. She glanced from mother to father, unsure of who to look at when she shared the news. In the end, she decided on a point between them – a point in the background outside on the patio – and attempted to put a smile on her face. "Uh…" She worked up the courage, her leg bouncing nervously, her foot tapping against the carpet. Luke's hand slid into hers, and she took comfort in the warmth emanating from the touch of his skin.

"Hurry along, Lorelai. We don't have all day," Emily commented airly.

"Emily, just… give her a minute. She's a little nervous," Luke explained.

"Yes, clearly," the elder Gilmore observed sourly.

Lorelai bowed her head at her mother's comment, as if ashamed by her nervousness. And in all truths, she was. Not to mention the sourness in Emily's voice, as if Luke was pointing out the obvious, thereby making it appear that they needed the obvious stated, and therefore implying that she – Emily – was stupid. It was probably what she thought, too. Her mother had never fully accepted Luke into her life. In fact, she probably had yet to accept Luke's existence. The fact that she took such disdain towards her husband angered her and she raised her head, meeting her mother's gaze proudly.

"Mom… I'm pregnant." Levelly, she stared at her mother. She didn't blink, having an unacknowledged staring contest with Emily Gilmore. Finally, it was Emily who spoke.

"Well, that's lovely," she smiled.

"Congratulations, Luke," Richard bellowed.

"Thank you, Mr. Gil – Richar – Mr… uh... thanks," Luke stammered nervously.

"Richard, please."

"Right," Luke wiped his hands nervously on his jeans.

"So uh, that's all I wanted to say…" Lorelai trailed.

"Would you two like to stay for dinner?" Richard asked.

"No, that's okay. We've gotta get back. Right, Luke?"

"Uh…" Lorelai nudged Luke forcefully in the side. "Right," he coughed.

"Oh." Emily showed no disappointment, her expression unchanging.

"That's too bad," Richard sighed unconvincingly.

"Um… yeah. So, well… we better go…"

"Of course, of course!" Emily stood up quickly and showed them to the door, Richard trailing impassively behind.

"You'll keep us updated, I assume?" Emily inquired.

"Sure, Mom," Lorelai agreed with a small nod.

"See you on Friday," Emily reminded discreetly. With that, the door creaked shut, splitting the two families with only one thick slab of wood.

"That went well," Luke observed.

Lorelai snorted, "he's unhappy."

"Who?"

"My dad."

"Why?" Luke asked in a mixture of shock and complete confusion. "I thought it went well!"

"Well of course you thought that, he wouldn't want to upset us. Who knows why," Lorelai sighed, sinking into Luke's comforting arms.

"What about Emily?" he asked immediately. It wasn't Richard he feared most, but Emily.

"What am I? A mind reader?"

"You know your parents better than anyone," Luke explained.

"She seemed pleased," Lorelai replied after thinking over her personality and the delivery of her responses. Her mother, for once, seemed genuinely pleased by what she'd done.

"Good, good…"

The two climbed into Lorelai's Jeep – they had decided to take the jeep after Luke's truck had been insulted twice already – and headed back to Stars Hollow.

* * *

"Well this is _wonderful _news!" Emily cried as the door closed, turning to face her husband.

Richard glared at her, "Really? I wouldn't think you were one to be happy by this."

"Well why not?" Emily asked in confusion.

"_Why not_, Emily? _Why not_?" Richard exploded, "because it's that, that… _that diner guy! _It's Luke, the guy who refused to expand his business, who seems to have no other wardrobe but those silly flannel shirts, jeans, and that immature baseball hat!"

"That 'diner guy' is also known as Luke Danes, husband to your daughter," Emily informed hotly.

"I can't believe you're defending that man," Richard growled.

"I am not defending him. Far be it from me to say this, but Lorelai picked him. We wanted her to marry Christopher, but obviously it's not meant to be! Now you know I am not the biggest fan of Luke, but he is the father of our new grandchild, and Richard you had better be nice to him or so help me…" Emily trailed angrily.

"Emily—" Richard started in annoyance.

"No, _Richard. _If you say anything to Luke, something could happen. We could lose Lorelai again. We could lose this new grandchild. I don't want to be cut off from this child like we were with Rory. Don't you want to get to know your future grandchild?"

"Well of _course _I do, but—"

"Yes, it may not be Christopher, but Luke is a good man. He loves Lorelai."

Richard snorted, "He loves his diner more."

Emily sighed with impatience. She stepped closer to Richard, fixing him with one of her piercing glares. He seemed to flinch involuntarily, but Emily still continued.

"That man has played a bigger part in our daughter's life than we've realized. When she ran away from home, he was their main food source. He fed her, kept her well fed and alive. He loves Rory like his own daughter – he's expressed that many a times. Sometimes, he put Lorelai and Rory's safety before his own. In fact, he's done that quite often. Without him, who knows where Lorelai would have ended up? Now, you be nice to this man, you be nice to Lorelai, and you be _happy _for this child," Emily demanded.

Richard stood silent for a few moments, unable to find the right words. Finally, he seemed to find his voice. "It still sounds like you're defending him to me," he said lamely.

"_Richard_," Emily sighed exasperatedly, "I do not want to lose Lorelai again. We've lost her many times, due to something we've done or not done, _and _because of things we have done because we thought Luke was not the man for her. She has proven us wrong. I admit that Luke is a good man, and I could learn to like him, but Lorelai will stay in our life. And if she doesn't, it will _not _be because you chased her away by going after her husband, do you understand me?"

Richard stared at her, unspeaking.

"_**Richard**_," Emily spoke harshly, stamping her foot impatiently, her hands clenched into tight fists.

"I understand, Emily," Richard replied after a few minutes of glaring. He spoke quietly, staring down at the floor beneath his feet.

"Good." With that, Emily turned and continued with her day.

"Imagine it Richard; a little boy," she had turned around to speak to her husband in a sincere attempt to lighten the mood.

Her comment managed to draw a small smile onto Richard's face, and Emily mirrored it happily.

"This is wonderful, Richard._ Really_."

* * *

**Love it? Hate it?  
Doesn't matter; Review it!**

**Please? c:**


	7. And the Effect Sets In

**Chapter Seven of A Little Piece of Heaven.**

**Somewhat of a filler chapter, but still eventful nonetheless, I suppose. xDD**

**You be the judge. ^^**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls, I would have pushed SERIOUSLY hard for a Season Eight. Alexis, why did you have to refuse? DD: Even an abridged season eight? **

* * *

"Oo... those strawberries look _good_," Lorelai observed.

"Do you want strawberries?" Luke picked up the box of strawberries, about to put them in the cart.

"No… can I have a banana?"

"Sure," Luke grabbed a bunch of bananas and set them in the shopping cart. Lorelai, however, wanted the banana from the hand and ripped it open.

"Lorelai!" Luke admonished.

"What? I want a banana."

"You've gotta wait so we can pay for it," Luke pointed out.

"Ahh, prices are miniscule things. Tiny, unimportant… wouldn't you rather just steal it? Then we could live in hiding, and no one would know we're alive. It'd be fun! Like… a role playing of sorts! We could tell Taylor, and then run off and hide in Timbuktu."

"Would we _tell _Taylor we were hiding out in Timbuktu?" Luke asked skeptically.

"Well of course! But we would board up our hiding place and get the Dark Lord to cast spells to protect us."

"But Taylor is like, the Potions Master—"

"Snape," Lorelai said.

"— of Harry Potter. He's a friend to the Dark Lord, secretly, right? Well, it's complicated. But he knows the Dark Lord, so he knows how to get past defenses," Luke argued.

"… Fine, Taylor doesn't have to know," Lorelai sighed, "that plan is far too complicated anyways."

"Taylor doesn't have to know what?" And, just then, the Doose's Market manager approached Lorelai and Luke, coming to stand before them.

"Oh, Lorelai fumbled, "that I… uh… brought my own banana into the market?" Cautiously, Lorelai turned the banana around so that Taylor couldn't see the Doose's Market sticker. He stared at her, his eyebrows furred in thinking, but Lorelai innocently met his gaze.

"Why would you do that?" Taylor asked in confusion.

"Um… because I was hungry…?" Lorelai offered lamely.

"A banana," Taylor stated skeptically.

"Yes, those things monkeys eat. Why?" Lorelai answered testily.

"Well, I just didn't think Lorelai Danes would be one to eat a banana," he responded.

"Well she is!" Lorelai snapped.

Taylor's eyes widened slightly in surprise at her sudden – or maybe not so sudden – burst of annoyance and he stepped back. Luke glanced at her worriedly and placed a warning hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up at him with a small smile, but said nothing else. _It's okay. I'm okay. _She had awoken that morning with morning sickness and proceeded to lock herself in the bathroom for two hours. She refused to let Luke hold her hair, but later regretted it when she had to take _another _shower immediately after. When she went downstairs, she wasn't hungry for anything her kitchen had to offer – which admittedly wasn't much anyway – and even Luke's offer to make pancakes didn't tempt her.

No, instead Lorelai Danes had craved one thing and one thing only. It wasn't something her body usually accepted – or something she liked in the slightest – but she longed for it now. She craved this unusual choice of food like she normally craved chocolate, candy, and chocolate candy. She wanted fruit – all kinds of fruit; big fruit, small fruit, short fruit, tall fruit… oranges, melons, pears, apples, bananas… any fruit in existence; she wanted it. She had been moody, too, hence her snappy remark to Taylor – not that he didn't deserve one now and again – and her annoyed actions henceforth.

She glared at Taylor. "You know, sometimes people who don't like certain foods areallowed to have them once in a while. There's not a federal law or anything that states I can't eat a banana. What, are the cops gonna come after me? Agent Gibbs and—"

"Agent Gibbs is with the NCIS. Hardly the police. And—" Taylor pointed out, but was rudely – or maybe not so rudely – interrupted by Lorelai, who continued as if he had said nothing at all.

"—and that other guy are gonna show up at my door, arrest me for eating a banana, and take me to jail?"

"Well—"

"And then, next thing I know, Luke will turn out to be some serial killer out to kill everyone in Stars Hollow for arresting his wife because she ate a banana! Is that what you want?"

"Uh…." Taylor figured it better not to argue with the woman any longer, "of-of course not. You can eat a banana if you wish… sorry-sorry to have bothered you." He stammered his apology. He stared oddly at Luke, like he couldn't figure out what he saw in Lorelai. He walked away.

"Sure, next you'll tell me Pluto isn't a planet!" she shouted at Taylor's retreating figure. She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and dragged Luke and their shopping cart away from the produce section. Their cart already contained an enormous pile of fruit and a fair amount of junk food.

"So when do you want to tell people?" Luke asked.

"I'd prefer not to, really. The town would go crazy."

"They already are," Luke snorted, "and they're gonna find out eventually."

"Sure they are; let them. Hell, Babette can start a rumor when she sees this load of fruit," Lorelai motioned to the shopping car, "it'll spread like a California wildfire, and by the time Babette or Patty bothers to ask, it'll already be obvious."

"So just let them find out on their own…?" Luke asked.

"Yep, that's the brilliant plan."

The two finished their shopping, checked out, and left Doose's. Throwing their purchases into the car both climbed in and headed home. When they got home, they started carrying things into the house. Babette watched the two get out from her window, a curious expression on her face. She noted that Lorelai held an apple in her hand (the banana long since gone). Hurriedly, she stepped onto her front porch.

"Lorelai! Suga'!" Babette called.

"Hey Babette!" Lorelai turned and smiled at her neighbor.

"Do you need me to send Morey out to help with the groceries?"

"Oh, no, Babette. That's okay! Luke's got it. Thanks, though!"

"You sure, suga'?" Babette pressed.

"Yeah, we're fine," Lorelai nodded.

"Well okay," Babette conceded, though she wasn't entirely convinced. She eyed the fruit suspiciously, but said nothing to Lorelai in case she was wrong. She made a mental note to call Patty as soon as Lorelai and Luke were inside.

And once they were, she flew to her phone and dialed the ever familiar number for Patty. She pressed the phone to her ear.

"Miss Patty's School of Dance," Miss Patty's airy voice came through the device.

"You were right," Babette breathed immediately.

"I was?" It was unbelievable how Babette and Patty always knew what the other was talking about without asking.

"The Hen and the Rooster just went inside with a load of fruit," Babette reported.

"Are you sure it's the Hen who's eating it?"

"Well… she was eating an apple when she talked to me," she informed.

"Well if you ask me, I'd say the Hen is gonna lay an Egg," Patty observed thoughtfully.

"No confirmation yet," Babette replied, "but I'll work on it."

The two gossipers ended their conversation, and Babette went back to staking out at her window.

When Lorelai and Luke stepped inside, Paul Anka was immediately by their side.

"Hi Paul Anka!" Lorelai dropped her fruits and patted her dog lovingly on the head. She dropped down to his level and scratched his ears. As Paul Anka rolled over, she gave a childish squeal of delight. "Aw, who wants his tummy rubbed? Paul Anka does! Yes he _does_!"

"You're insane!" Luke called from the kitchen, where he was putting away some of the groceries from Doose's.

"Thank you!" Lorelai replied back.

He joined her in the foyer. "Don't you have work today?"

"Day off," Lorelai explained simply.

Suddenly, a strange smell filled the air. She sprang to her feet and sprinted upstairs. Worriedly, Luke shot after her. She darted into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She had no time to flinch as she heard Luke nearly crash into the door, instead finding herself clinging to the porcelain toilet.

Luke rapped furiously on the door, "Lorelai! Open the door!"

"No," Lorelai croaked from inside. Luke tugged at the handle, but the action did little good. He sighed and considered what to do next.

"Lorelai!" he bellowed again, but only received the same response. He considered breaking down the door in order to get to his wife, but then decided he would rather not fix it later. If she really didn't want him in the room… it was probably for his own good.

"I'll – uh – just be out here, okay?" He received a groan of acknowledgement and scuffled away to the computer. It was in their bedroom, propped up on a clean desk with a small lamp. He sat down in the chair and turned it on.

His display name had originally been 'Luke,' but Lorelai had since changed it, and he no knowledge of how to change it back. And so, Luke Danes was stuck with Burger Boy. He clicked in his password – which luckily she hadn't changed – and the monitor switched instantly to his customized background of Lorelai and him at their wedding. He smiled.

Then, he pulled up the internet. He quickly checked his email, which Lorelai had set up for him, and replied to a few messages from Jess, Liz, and his other friends. A particular email caught his eye and he opened it.

_To: Lucas Danes_

_From: Rachel Allen_

_Hey Luke! I haven't heard from you in quite a while. What have you been up to? I'd love to chat with you, but I don't know when I'll be in Stars Hollow again. It would be great if you joined Facebook. It's this site where you can chat and share news with friends. I'm actually on it a lot. I was looking for you and I didn't see you. Well, if you join, add me as a friend. A few of your Stars Hollow buddies have one! (I promise, I'm not stalking you, LOL.)_

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Rachel_

She included a link to the site at the end. Luke stared at the message. He read it several times. He clicked the link. Then, he cast a glance in Lorelai's direction. It had been a little over an hour and a half and Lorelai had not come out.

"You okay?" he called worriedly.

"I'm fine, Luke. Honestly," Lorelai assured, but Luke grunted his disbelief.

He went back to the screen. The site flashed in front of his eyes and he stared at it hesitantly before deciding to join. He entered the required information and perused the site. No more than ten minutes later, he already had several requests.

Rachel Allen. Confirm.

Carrie Duncan. He hit 'ignore' repeatedly until the screen went blank, a small shiver running down his spine.

Taylor Doose. He was tempted to hit 'ignore,' but he knew that he'd just have to hear about it later, so, against his better judgment, accepted his friend request.

Jess Mariano. _Hey Uncle Luke! Welcome to the Era of Technology. Glad you finally caught up. _Luke accepted his nephew's request with a small smile on his face.

Rory Gilmore (Lorelai Leigh Gilmore). _Hey Luke! Finally discovered Facebook, huh? Do me a favor and show Mom. We can talk more this way, and she needs to get more involved with technology. I mean, look, you're ahead of her now. Who would have thought that! Missing your coffee right now… and your burgers. Here at Yale, the coffee isn't the same. Maybe I'll come home over the weekend... _Luke smiled again. He made a mental note to introduce Lorelai to Facebook as soon as she came out.

He accepted the requests of a few people he knew from high school and ignored the others. Then, he uploaded a profile picture – he and Lorelai on their honeymoon in Martha's Vineyard. He smiled. Perfect.

Again, he cast a glance back at the bathroom. It had been well over three hours now, but the door had not opened. He had heard nothing from the room to signal anything other than an upset stomach.

"Are you _sure _you're okay?" he asked in concern.

"Luke, I'm _fine_," Lorelai called again exasperatedly. She didn't want him to see her like this; at her weakest and succumbing to the unavoidable force known as morning sickness. Poor Luke, he probably didn't even know there was such a thing. He had never been a father before – excluding April because he met her when she was a teenager – and she wasn't exactly helping matters by not clueing him in.

Luke opened a new tab, something April had taught him, and searched for information on pregnancy. After reading up on the basics, he realized what the problem had been. Some sicknesses during pregnancy could be triggered by certain smells and aromas.

He cursed himself. While he had been in the kitchen, he had thought that the smell of coffee would make Lorelai feel better. Of course, he would never allow her to drink it, but the smell would have been enough to brighten her mood. On the contrary, however, it had sent her to the toilet for a good four hours. Luke reminded himself never to make that same mistake again. After he had read enough for the day, Luke went back to exploring the phenomenon known as Facebook.

**4 NEW FRIEND REQUESTS** blinked on the sidebar.

April Nardini. _DADDDD! _He confirmed his daughter's request with a large grin.

Kirk Gleason. Confirm.

Lulu Kuschner. So _that _was Lulu's last name! Confirm.

Carrie Duncan. _Don't ignore me, Butch! _ Luke sighed. Again? He hit ignore again, paying no attention to the message she had added with her request.

The door to the bathroom swung open at around 6:00 P.M. Luke had since abandoned the computer and sat down beside the door frame. He had grown bored with the computer (or, actually, he had grown frustrated when it didn't do as he wanted) and took to stake-out by the door. As it opened, Lorelai stumbled out. Luke sprang to his feet and steadied her.

"There you are," he greeted.

"Here I am…" Lorelai agreed quietly.

He held her in his arms for a few minutes and kissed the side of her head gently.

"Rory suggests you join Facebook," he commented softly.

"Nice segue," Lorelai mocked. He smiled and guided her towards the computer.

Within the next hour, Lorelai Gilmore Danes had a facebook account. She was married to Luke Danes, mother to Rory Gilmore, and daughter to Emily Gilmore. All had been made Facebook official. She had grudgingly accepted her mother's request, having attempted to report her claiming she had no idea who she was. Luke went to great lengths to convince her otherwise.

"Why does my mother even _have _a facebook?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Beats me," Luke responded, "I didn't think she was one for the internet."

"That's just it," Lorelai said, "she isn't."

Luke was partially leaned over the chair, one hand gripping the back of the chair while the other was placed gently on her furthest shoulder. He watched as she played around on the site, laughing as she talked to herself about her profile picture.

"This is so cool!" Lorelai squealed.

"Yes, cool. Groovy. The Scooby-Doo definition of cool._ Lorelai_, time to get off." He felt like he was scolding a little child, but it was almost 8:00 P.M. and Lorelai had not eaten since that morning. She had also failed to leave the computer.

"Few more minutes," Lorelai said absently.

"Five," Luke clarified.

Lorelai looked up. "Ten," she argued.

"Three."

"Nine!" Lorelai shook her head.

"Seven. No more," Luke said finally.

"Deal," Lorelai sighed. Eagerly, she went back to the computer, not daring to waste any time.

Luke sighed. _Thanks Rory. Just… thanks. Now your mother's going to starve herself._

The friend request that popped up next left both of the Danes' motionless. Four words were included with the request.

Christopher Hayden. _We need to talk. _

Confirm or ignore? She looked to Luke for help, but he merely shook his head. _Your choice, Lorelai. _But she could tell from the slightly firmer grip on her shoulder that he would rather she ignore the request. She could tell Luke was uneasy; he usually always was when the subject of Rory's father came up. Her eyebrows furred. What did he need to discuss? And why send the notice with a friend request on Facebook? It couldn't be that urgent if he sent it over the computer, could it? She looked up at Luke; he was still hunched over her shoulder.

"It's just an online site," she muttered, mostly to herself for reassurance.

"Yep," Luke grunted.

Nervously, she hit confirm.

"It's been seven minutes," Luke observed.

"No it hasn't!"

"It was 8:00, now it's 8:07. Do the math, Einstein."

"But I've just been staring at the screen, Aristotle. Please?" Lorelai begged.

"Nope, you need food." Gently, Luke pulled Lorelai from the chair. She moved to sit back down immediately, but Luke reeled her in and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"But Luke, I—"

He kissed her again.

"The page is—"

A third time, he kissed her.

"You know, I'll just argue some more if this is my punishment."

Luke smiled. As he kissed her a fourth time, he turned and led the way out of the bedroom, downstairs, and into the kitchen to get dinner. The computer was left on in the bedroom, Lorelai's facebook still open on the screen. A chat popped up in the bottom right corner.

**Christopher Hayden ** 8:15 PM

Lore?

**Christopher Hayden ** 8:25 PM

Lorelai?

* * *

**So, after seeing 5.15, Jews and Chinese Food, I came across a bit of information.**

**Lulu's last name. In this episode, Luke is the only adult besides Carrie and Lulu there, am I correct? He even said so himself (Well, aside from Kirk).**

**When Carrie has the children (and Kirk) gathered around her in a semi-circle on stage, she is talking about opening night. She tells the kids, "Tell me or Ms. Kuschner..." Now, as the only other female adult there is Lulu, wouldn't this be Lulu's last name? I am not entirely positive about this, but I do feel strongly that I'm correct. **

**And they say Lulu's last name was never mentioned! Pah.**

**Anyways, loved it? Hate it?  
Review it anyways! **


	8. Farewell, My Friends

**Yay for Chapter Eight! (:**

**I warn you... Sad Lorelai is kind of difficult for me to write... especially when it involves Christopher. So... yes. **

**Maybe I'll get better at it by the next chapter. I've got lots in store for this, so maybe faster updates? I'm not sure.**

**Anyways, read away!**

**Disclaimer: Who owns Gilmore Girls? Amy Sherman-Palladino. What is my name? _Not _Amy Sherman-Palladino. Put two and two together. :P**

* * *

It had been days – weeks – since Christopher had contacted her via Facebook. No phone calls, no texts, no meetings, no… anything. It was starting to put Lorelai on edge; every phone call made had her thinking it was Chris on the other end. Unfortunately, most of the time, it was only Emily calling to check up on her or ask her about some detail on food she knew nothing about.

Lorelai, in anticipation of a phone call, had placed her phone strategically on her bedside table. She was eager to hear from Christopher, desperate to know what was so important. Luke, though he would never show it, was also intrigued and impatient to know what Christopher thought was so important to share.

When the phone rang early that Saturday, Lorelai rolled over in annoyance.

"Go to hell," she muttered sleepily. The person on the other line, obviously, didn't hear, and the ringing persisted. Only half-awake, she made a half-hearted lunge for the phone. She pressed it to her ear, her face buried under the blankets. "'Lo?"

"Good, you're awake," the person on the other end sighed in relief, "I was afraid you'd be asleep."

"Yes, because who doesn't sleep in on Saturdays at—," Lorelai lifted her head to glance at her alarm clock. "_At six A.M.!" _Lorelai sat up immediately, rubbing her hand over her eyes. She scratched her head and ran her hand through her tangled hair. "Mother, why the _hell _are you calling me at six in the morning… on a Saturday?"

"Have you checked the news recently?" Emily ignored her daughter's questioning, her voice anxious.

"Why? Is it gonna tell me?" Lorelai asked.

"Lorelai, be serious for once, _please_," Emily demanded.

"No, Mom," Lorelai replied, "I haven't. I'm not into watching the news, you know that."

"Of course not," Emily sighed, "Well, I'm afraid I have terrible news."

Lorelai blinked curiously. "Really, what?" she asked. Had someone died? She started panicking. Was it Dad? It couldn't be, though… Emily would be in hysterics if it was. So who had died? What happened? "But mom, if it's some cousin I've never met before, I don't wanna know, 'cause—"

"It's not your cousin," Emily replied softly. Now, it seemed like she really was crying. What if it _was _her father? She shifted uneasily.

Lorelai put a calming hand on her stomach, wincing involuntarily with the feel of a kick. She had learned only a few days ago that she was to have a little boy. Luke was ecstatic, of course, and Sookie promised to help with anything she could. Even Emily and Richard were overjoyed by the news. Lorelai herself wasn't sure she wanted a baby shower, so her friends dropped off little things now and again. Boy, obviously, meat blue, but Lorelai insisted that his room, for the most part, be decorated with green. The name had yet to be determined.

"Well then what's wrong?" Lorelai asked worriedly.

"It's Christopher," Emily choked out. "He's… well… he's dead."

It was then that everything stopped; the Earth's rotation, the beating of her heart, her breath, her speech… time. It was like she was _frozen _in time.

_Lorelai stood in the parking lot, her soft brown curls dancing lightly in the breeze. She was still in her uniform, but it didn't matter to her. Everyone else was, too. She watched patiently as she waited for him to appear, and when he did she drew a breath. She wasn't scared – Lorelai Gilmore was never scared – but she was excited. Just the sight of him made her happy. She walked boldly towards him, uncaring that he was with his friends. She stepped towards him, reached up, and pulled him into a kiss. When she pulled away a few seconds later, she stared blankly up at him. She couldn't believe it; she had actually kissed Christopher Hayden._

"_I just… wanted to know what it would be like," she justified her action immediately, turned on her heels, and strode away, leaving a stunned Christopher in her wake._

"Lorelai? _Lorelai_? For Heaven's sake, answer me!" Her mother's voice snapped her to the present and she stammered an apology. "Quite alright, Lorelai. I can tell this has come as a bit of a shock to you. Will you be able to attend the funeral service?"

"How?" Lorelai croaked.

"Excuse me?" Emily asked in confusion.

"Sorry, how did Christopher – how did he…" Lorelai forced herself to ask, but wasn't able to complete the question.

"I… I'm not sure you want to know," Emily replied skeptically.

"Tell me, mother," Lorelai insisted through gritted teeth.

"He was shot," Emily stated.

"He was…. Excuse me?" It was Lorelai's turn to be confused. Who on _earth _would shoot him? Sure, she had times when she had wanted to, and she was sure Luke had intentions to do so now and again, but… who in their right mind would actually kill him?

"Well, I'm sure it wasn't intentional. He was just in their way," Emily explained.

"Whose way?" she asked.

"He was at a drugstore. Who knows what he was looking for… but there was a robbery, and maybe he wasn't doing what they asked… whatever he did or didn't do, they shot him."

Lorelai sat in her bed, speechless. What had he done? Had he tried to stand up to them? Well, Christopher was always a bit too foolish. But in such circumstances, had he really tried to stop armed gunmen? Worriedly, she considered other scenarios. And then another thought struck her.

"Where's Gigi?" she demanded.

"The child is fine," Emily assured, "she was at a friend's house. Poor girl, though. Her mother wants nothing to do with her, and Francine…" Emily trailed off.

"Francine…?" Lorelai pressed.

"Francine isn't well. She had a heart attack when she heard her only son was killed. She's extremely weak… she might not make it," Emily confessed.

"Where is she?"

"Hartford Memorial."

Lorelai nodded to herself. "I'll tell Rory. We'll go see her."

"That's very kind, Lorelai. But really, there's no need. After the last time you met—" Lorelai cut her mother off impatiently.

"Mom, Rory may be her only immediate family alive. We're going," she stated firmly.

"Well… okay. I'll talk to you later, Lorelai," Emily agreed in the end.

"Sure thing, Mom," Lorelai sighed.

"And be nice," her mother slipped in a single reminder before the line disconnected.

Lorelai set the phone on the table and stared blankly at the opposite wall. Christopher Hayden: dead. And his mother: dying. She didn't know what to think. Francine, by far, was _not _her favorite person in the world, but Christopher… there was too much history there not to react. He was Rory's father, after all. It was hard to forget someone knowing that. Sure, he hadn't always been there when she needed him, but he had done his best. He had tried, really tried, to be a good father to Rory.

Rory… Lorelai picked up the phone and called her daughter.

"I hate you," the voice on the other end stated as the line connected.

"Sorry," Lorelai winced.

"You're going to die a slow and painful dea—"

"Don't say that," Lorelai snapped. Those jokes weren't funny anymore. They were too realistic to her now. Sure, people she knew had died – Fran, Stan, Straub – but not anyone as close as Christopher. Definitely not anyone like Christopher. And a slow and painful death… it was too close to the way she imagined Christopher. Had he died immediately? Or had he bled to death? She started crying at the thought. Her sobs were heard on the other end, and Rory narrowed her eyes in concern.

"Mom?" she asked.

"It's your father…" Lorelai croaked. "He…. He was in an accident."

She had Rory's attention immediately. Her daughter's voice sounded considerably more interested, and her voice was full of concern.

"Is he okay?" When she didn't get a reply, she had her answer. Lorelai had shaken her head 'no,' but Rory had not seen it.

"What about Gigi?" Rory inquired.

"Gigi is fine. She's with her friend, I think. I don't know if she's been told… And your grandmother – Francine that is – she's in the hospital. She had- she had a heart attack when she heard. She's not well. I thought maybe we could go visit…" Lorelai rambled. She was in tears, now, the realization that the Hayden would never talk to her again finally hitting her.

_Lorelai tapped her pencil impatiently on the desk, her eyes scanning over the paper in front of her. She had missed yesterday's Biology class, so here she was to make it up. And, joy, she was missing lunch. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, and she looked up at the teacher in embarrassment. The teacher glared at her and nodded towards her test, a signal to hurry and finish so she could eat. Her biology teacher was kind, friendly, and possibly her favorite teacher. She didn't want to hold Lorelai captive in the classroom, but the test needed to be completed so that she could get credit. _

_She stared down at the test. Three more questions left. She glanced at the clock. Five minutes of lunch remaining. With a nervous glance towards the teacher, she guessed on the last three questions. No way was she going to miss lunch. She circled answers randomly and stood up with a feigned sigh of relief. She picked up her test and her book bag, walked hurriedly over to the front desk, and handed over her paper. The teacher looked up at her from grading other tests. She took one look at the test, and then offered a small smile._

"_Thank you, Miss Gilmore. Enjoy your lunch," she said. Lorelai smiled._

"_Thanks, Mrs. Bell." With that, she turned and hurried out of the classroom. As she threw open the doors in a craze for food – and a desperate attempt to reach the cafeteria before lunch was finished – she nearly crashed into none other than Christopher Hayden. _

"_Chris," she squeaked in surprise._

"_Hey to you too," he laughed._

"_Look, Chris, I can't talk now. I have to make it to the cafeteria before lunch is—," she stopped short as he pulled something from inside his jacket pocket. A slice of pizza. She blinked gratefully as he pulled out a napkin and handed it to her._

"_Thought you might not make it in time," he explained._

"_Ah, you thought right, my friend," she agreed, hungrily taking the pizza from him. Chris draped an arm over her shoulders and she leaned towards him as they walked down the hallway. _

Her mother: the bearer of bad news at six in the morning. What a great way to start the day.

"Of course, Mom. I'll meet you there at noon, okay?" Rory agreed.

Lorelai gave her quiet consent and hung up. She struggled out of bed and made her way over to the computer. As it whirred to life, she logged on and opened Facebook. There was a chat in the corner she had not seen. She blinked away her tears and looked at it. It was Chris.

**Christopher Hayden**8:15 PM  
Lore?

**Christopher Hayden **8:25 PM  
Lorelai?

It had been sent those weeks ago, when she had first accepted his request. That was the night Luke made her dinner. She remembered. As she looked at the chat, she realized Christopher had in fact contacted her, she just hadn't acknowledged it. Her computer had shut itself off after an allotted number of minutes, and she had never turned it back on since. As her eyes flew over the page, she also realized she had a message in her inbox. She opened it, gasping at what she read.

_Lor, I know there's a reason you're avoiding me. I'm sorry for everything I've done over the past years; not being there for Rory, not being there for you, being a jerk to your boyfriend… I'm sorry about all of it. I need to talk to you, though. It's important… and I think it's good news. I'll drop by in a few weeks to talk to you, okay? How about Friday, April 21__st__? I'll try to call you, too, if I can. Chris._

She stared blankly at the message. _Friday, April 21__st__. _She glanced around wildly for a calendar, before she found one on her computer. With a gasp of horror, she read the date. It was Saturday, April 22nd. So, that meant… She cursed silently. Christopher had been on his way to talk to her. About what, she still didn't know, but he had been coming to see her. And he had gotten himself killed in the process. She dropped her head into her hands, a fresh wave of guilt washing over her. Slowly, she pried herself away from the computer and climbed back into bed. She buried herself deep under the covers and let herself fall apart.

Groggily, Lorelai climbed out of bed. It was almost eleven now. She hadn't gone in to work today, but she had called Sookie earlier explaining why. Now, she sat up, her disheveled hair a tangled mess. She stood up slowly and stumbled out of her bedroom.

An hour later, she and Rory met outside of Hartford Memorial. She leaned towards her daughter tiredly, glumly. She gave a soft cry, the waterworks already starting again. She hadn't spoken to Luke at all so far, with him being at work and the like. She hadn't called him; she had been too upset to. She only made the necessary calls, saving Luke for later. She didn't know how upset he would be anyway. Would he be sad? Most likely not, but he would be sympathetic for her. And right now, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted Christopher to be alive and well. Sure, she wasn't married to him, but he was her friend – one of her closest friends. They knew everything about each other. And, well, for him to die was like having Sookie die. It was a devastating blow to her, and she wasn't seeking sympathy. She was seeking… closure?

"How bad is she?" Rory asked nervously.

"I dunno, kid," Lorelai responded hoarsely.

And together, they stumbled into the hospital. They got information on Francine's condition and where she was located, then headed up to her room.

Cautiously, Lorelai pushed open the door. Francine's frail figure lay in the bed, her eyes closed in a peaceful slumber.

"Maybe we should come back later," Rory whispered.

"There's no need for that," Francine spoke from the bed, though her eyes were still closed. "Who is that? Are you that dreadful nurse? I need another moist cloth, this one is hardly damp."

Involuntarily, Lorelai winced. Same old Francine Hayden.

"Francine," she greeted.

The woman opened her eyes. "Lorelai?" Carefully, the two made their way over to her bedside. "And Rory," she acknowledged with a weak smile.

Lorelai nodded. "When we heard… we came straight away," she explained. A sorrowful smile was plastered on her face as she stared down at her daughter's grandmother. Rory turned and pulled two chairs over, and Lorelai sank gratefully into one. "We're so sorry, Francie…" she whimpered. She bowed her head.

"Lorelai, dear, it isn't your fault," Francine cooed, "please, don't blame yourself." Lorelai looked up at her. She had said 'please.' Like her mother. Francine wasn't one for kind gestures. She was uptight, a little rude, yet she had her kind moments.

"And Rory," Francine turned her piercing gaze on her granddaughter, though the fierce light that brought fear to Lorelai on more than one occasion had long since been lost. "Dear girl…" she sighed, "I'm sorry we never had the chance of meeting in peace—"

"Oh, it's alri—"

"Let me finish," Francie admonished light heartedly. Rory nodded her apology. "I loved you the moment I heard you were born. I wanted to meet you, but Straub… well you know how he is. When we met you those years ago, when you were sixteen, I desperately wanted to get to know you. Establish the relationship you have with Lorelai's parents." Here, Lorelai stifled a laugh. Her daughter was close to her grandparents, but not as close as most families. The thought made her giggle. "I'm proud to be your grandmother, even though I know nothing about you."

Rory smiled, unable to hold back tears. "Oh… thank you, Mrs. Hayden – Franci – Francine – uhm… thanks," she stammered.

It seemed her fumble was not caught by Francine, for she turned her gaze back on Lorelai now, her eyes soft and warm, as if she was already welcoming death.

"Lorelai, I'm so very sorry for the way you were treated that night. Straub was upset that Christoph—that he didn't get the future we had wanted for him. He took it out on you—"

"With good reason," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

"And he shouldn't have. You know that we love you – he knew that too. I even think he came to regret it within the last few hours he was alive. We never got the chance to be the grandparents to your daughter we should have been. And… Chr—our son was never given…" she paused to correct herself. Christopher was given the chance to be a father, he just never used it. "He was never capable of being the father he should have been. On your own, you've raised Rory remarkably well. I'm extremely proud of you both," Francie sighed.

Lorelai smiled, tears rolling down the side of her cheek.

"Francie… if there's _anything _that we can do…" she started, but the woman yet again beat her to the chase.

"There is, in fact. You did a good – a _great _– job raising Rory, and I would trust no one more than you to raise my second granddaughter, not even her mother," Francie replied.

"I, uh… what?" Lorelai stuttered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Gigi's mother is off gallivanting in Paris, and while I'm sure Gigi would have a marvelous time there, someone as flighty as her mother is _not _the proper woman to raise her. You, on the other hand… I know my son would approve if you were to care for his daughter, and I know you would do a wonderful job in raising her."

"You… you want me to take custody of Gigi?" Lorelai clarified.

"I do," Francine nodded. "I am old, and I am dying. I know that. And I also know that my husband and son are waiting for me. I'm ready. But my grandchild needs someone smart, brave, and strong to care for her. Who better than the mother of her half-sister?"

"I…" Lorelai trailed, her mind reeling. Rory sat motionless beside her. Both were at a complete loss for words.

"In fact, I insist upon it. As a last request from Christopher and I, please," Francine added.

Lorelai stared at her. She met her eyes – her pleading eyes – and found herself looking into her hands again. She shook her head for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. It was a last request from a dying woman, surely she could fulfill it… But maybe she should talk to Luke first. Make sure it was okay with him before she made any final decision… But it couldn't wait. She had to make a decision now, she could tell by the look in Francie's eyes. With a deep sigh, she looked up and met the woman's gaze once more.

"Alright," she agreed quietly, "I'll do it."

Francie smiled. "Thank you, Lorelai." Lorelai nodded, and she dipped her head again in embarrassment of more tears. Her hair swung down like a curtain, shielding her face from Francie's eyes. "And, as thanks, I'm leaving all of the Hayden fortune to you," she added with a grin.

Lorelai's head whipped up in surprise.

* * *

**Woot!**

**So, I wanted a way to get rid of Chris and a way to give custody of Gigi to Lorelai. What better way than to kill him and his mother off? Okay, so maybe I'm a little cruel... sorry. **

**But just wait until Luke's reaction! +evil maniacal laugh; And, truth be told, I love Francine. I don't know why... but I do. **

**Anyways, not only does this mean TWO new family members, but it also means the Danes will need a new home! o: **


End file.
